Meet The Dogs Who Sniff Out The Illegal Tobacco Trade


Trio of Cocker Spaniels have sniffed out more than £12m of illicit tobacco

Cocker Spaniels Yo-yo, Scamp and Phoebe, who have sniffed out more than £12m worth of illicit tobacco across the country, came to Merton to raise awareness of the threat posed by the illegal tobacco trade.

The B.W.Y. Canine Ltd detection dog unit parked up outside Merton Civic Centre to bring residents the Illegal Tobacco Road Show.

Criminal networks are estimated to be making more than £100m a year from the trade in London, with a third of London smokers saying they were offered illegal tobacco in the last year.

Since 2017, residents across eleven London Boroughs including Merton have been involved in the confiscation of over 21,000 illicit items as a result of intelligence provided at roadshows. Last year in Merton, a single operation uncovered more than 1,000 cigarettes and over 5 kilograms of hand-rolling tobacco believed to be illicit.

Sniffer dogs

Educating residents about the detrimental effects illegal tobacco has on the community is key to stamping out the trade. Each day of the roadshows, the public are advised and educated on the dangers of illegal tobacco trade, they can give intelligence and meet the dogs and their handlers.

Merton Trading Standards use the services of B.W.Y. Canine Ltd, a leading specialist in detection dogs for UK and International operations. These dedicated sniffer dogs have proved indispensable in finding hidden tobacco during searches of premises.

August 23, 2018