Tobacco dog helps to find thousands of illegal cigarettes and vapes during a raid on Spalding shops

Thousands of suspected illegal cigarettes and vapes have been seized during raids on three shops.

Police, Lincolnshire Trading Standards and immigration officers visited Baltic, Warsaw and Spalding European Foodstore, in Spalding, with a tobacco dog from Wagtail UK on December 20.

One man was found to be working illegally at the shop and he will be dealt with by immigration.

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Principal Lincolnshire Trading Standards officer, Andy Wright, said: “This is another excellent example of the partnership work between Trading Standards and Lincolnshire Police to remove dangerous illegal tobacco products from the market. Increasingly, we find that shops selling illegal cigarettes also sell illegal vapes, which often contain way over the legal limit of nicotine.

"The sale of these products attracts other anti-social behaviour and criminality, and the proceeds can often fund organised crime and exploitation.

“Reports from the public can really help us crack down on illegal cigarettes and vapes in Lincolnshire. If you have any information, let us know and help us stub it out."

Lincolnshire Trading Standards will now carry out initial investigations following the seizures

If you know anything about illegal tobacco products being sold in our area, contact the police or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or report online at crimestoppers-uk.org.

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