Illegal tobacco with an approximate street value of £40,000 has been seized following a tip-off.
An estimated 155,000 cigarettes and 30kg of hand rolling tobacco were seized from commercial premises and vehicles in Borehamwood and Stevenage last week by Hertfordshire County Council’s Trading Standards department.
It was as a result of an investigation and a tip-off.
The sniffer dog who helped find the illegal tobacco
The operation was carried out in partnership with the Stevenage Police Neighbourhood Team and Wagtail UK Ltd, which provided a detection dog to assist officers on the scene.
Investigations to establish the authenticity of the tobacco products are now underway.
Guy Pratt, head of trading standards at Hertfordshire County Council, said: “We will continue to tackle the sale of illegal tobacco.
“This undermines legitimate businesses and we want to put a stop to this trading so that genuine business can thrive in Hertfordshire.”
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