TWO Pembrokeshire-based sniffer dogs have proved once again they are canine crime-fighters, using their talented noses to find more than 60,000 illegal cigarettes.

Thousands of cigarettes and almost seven kilos of tobacco were seized from shops in Darlington on October 10 as part of a national trading standards initiative in partnership with HMRC to tackle illegal tobacco.

England and Wales-wide Operation CeCe saw the local trading standards team join forces with Durham Police and two tobacco detection dogs, Yoyo and Cooper from Pembrokeshire-based B.W.Y Canine Ltd.

Searches were carried out at eight shops in the town with the assistance of Yoyo and Cooper, to find hidden tobacco and cigarettes.

Shaun Trevor, who led the operation on behalf of trading standards, said: “In one shop products had been concealed in a chimney breast and by a shelving unit. An electronic opening and closing mechanism would reveal the cigarettes.

“In other shops, there were light fittings on magnets which when lowered revealed a ceiling void used to store these illegal goods.

“In total 24,200 cigarettes and 6.65 kilos of hand-rolling tobacco were seized, further disrupting the illicit trade in the borough.”

Lord Toby Harris, chair of National Trading Standards, said: “The trade in illegal tobacco harms local communities and affects honest businesses operating within the law. The National Trading Standards initiative in partnership with HRMC is playing a significant role in disrupting this illicit trade and is helping to take illegal tobacco products off the streets.”

Cooper also recently helped lead officers from Staffordshire County Council’s Trading Standards service to seizures of illegal tobacco during raids at six stores in Stafford and Cannock.

36,720 illegal cigarettes and 14.55kg of illegal hand rolling tobacco with a street value of around £9,000 were seized.

The raids were again carried out as part of Operation CeCe.

Last month, B.W.Y Canine sniffer dogs Yoyo and Scamp sniffed out a huge haul of cannabis in the west Midlands, thought to have a street value of up to £200,000.