Joint operation cracks down on the illegal trade
OVER £3,000 worth of illicit tobacco and illegal vapes have been seized from a high street premises in Falkirk.
In a joint operation between Falkirk Council’s Trading Standards team, Police Scotland and Falkirk Town Centre Community Policing Team, some 152 packets of illicit cigarettes – totalling 3,040 sticks – 13 pouches of hand-rolling tobacco and 60 illegal vapes were found in concealed locations in the store.
With help from tobacco detection dog Boo (pictured above), the team has referred the illicit tobacco products to HMRC, which can impose fines of up to £10,000, while the illegal vapes have been reported to the procurator fiscal.
Stacey Devine, spokesperson for Public Protection, said: “This operation is a great example of partnerships working to tackle the ongoing sale of illicit tobacco and illegal vapes in our community.
“Thanks to the efforts of our officers, along with the sharp nose of tobacco detection dog Boo, we’ve been able to remove these harmful products from circulation.
“We remain committed to protecting the public and urge people to continue reporting suspicious activity to help us crack down on illegal sales.”
