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When Trading Standards want to find a hidden stash of illegal tobacco, they normally require the expertise of a highly trained canine. One of the most sophisticated illegal tobacco concealments was found recently in a Derbyshire shop, thanks to Cooper, a four year old search dog who has undergone many months of specialist training. We talk to Stuart Phillips, possibly the UKs most experienced illegal tobacco search expert during Operation CeCe in Derbyshire.

An operation has successfully been carried out in Worcester, where an estimated £10,000 worth of counterfeit and illicit tobacco was seized.

West Mercia Police carried out the operation yesterday (13 September) in partnership with Worcestershire County Council’s Trading Standards Team, to seize the illegal tobacco from two premises in Worcester City Centre.

Meet Griff and Kevin, two new puppies being trained to help with the fight against illegal tobacco crime in the UK.

Griff, a 15 week old Springer Spaniel from Jersey and Kevin, a 13 week old Working Cocker Spaniel bred here in Wales are to be trained by multi-award winning dog trainer Stuart Phillips from Pembrokeshire based Stuart Phillips K9. 

TWO Pembrokeshire-based sniffer dogs have proved once again they are canine crime-fighters, this time sniffing out a huge haul of cannabis in the west Midlands, thought to have a street value of up to £200,000.

Over 10,000 illegal cigarettes seized as two Ashington shops are raided by Trading Standards, Police and specialist search dogs. 

Three stolen motorbikes, a cannabis grow and more than £100,000 worth of illegal tobacco were all seized when officers from Rugby Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) carried out a joint operation with Warwickshire County Council Trading Standards and search dog from Stuart Phillips K9, on Friday 18 June.

Operation CeCe is part of the HMRC funded national crackdown to disrupt the sale and supply of illegal tobacco in the UK. 

Illegal tobacco worth over £10,000 has been seized from three Southampton shops.

Trading Standards and Hampshire Police, assisted by Cooper the tobacco search dog found the illegal goods in Shirley and Woolston.

Body worn video captures the moment that Cooper from Stuart Phillips K9 locates the stash. 

Detection dogs are known for their excellent sense of smell, and now one has started work at a Scottish whisky distillery.

Rocco, an 18 month old Working Cocker Spaniel is being used to identify imperfections in whisky casks at the Grant's Whisky distillery in Girvan in Ayrshire.