Stone Wall Concealment Exposed by Griff

Griff the Detection Dog Finds Illegal Tobacco Hidden Behind Secret Wall in Newcastle Shop

A secret wall in the cellar of a shop in Heaton, Newcastle, was discovered concealing thousands of pounds worth of illegal tobacco — thanks to the keen nose of detection dog Griff, trained by Stu Phillips K9.

Griff worked in darkness and poor conditions for more than 20 minutes in the cramped cellar, before his persistent interest in one section of wall led to the breakthrough. Officers were initially baffled by his behaviour until a remote control key fob was found. When pressed, the stonework wall — fitted with hydraulics and so carefully disguised you could not see it was a door — slowly opened. What it revealed was one of the most sophisticated and well-hidden concealments we have ever seen.

Inside, officers found 245 packs of cigarettes and nine packets of hand-rolling tobacco, with a retail value of around £4,000.

Trading Standards Officer Paul Leighton said:

"It’s probably one of the most sophisticated methods of hiding tobacco I’ve ever come across in 13 years doing the job. A lot of effort has gone into creating the compartment, blending it into the brick work and using electronics to operate it, I’d say probably costing in the region of £10,000.

It underlines just how much money is being made selling illegal tobacco when they go to these lengths and expense to conceal it."

Neighbourhood Sergeant Gary Sharpe of Northumbria Police added:

"This was a cracking discovery, with Griff’s keen nose leading to the discovery of a stash of illicit cigarettes and tobacco concealed in a wall.

It goes without saying that items of this nature can be really harmful to the wider community, and could be linked to organised criminality. We’ll continue to work together with our partners to take robust action against this type of offending, and ultimately keep people safe."

Deputy Leader of Newcastle City Council, Cllr Alex Hay, said:

"I’d like to congratulate the police and our trading standards officers for a most unusual find. Special thanks goes to Griff for sniffing it out.

Illegal tobacco is not just a risk to public health, like all tobacco, but is very often linked to organised crime like people trafficking. Contrary to what some may think these are not victimless crimes so I would caution anyone buying or selling illegal tobacco to think very hard before doing so."

The day after this operation, Griff’s nose struck again — this time in a shisha café in Newcastle’s West End. There, he located a further 600 packets of illegal cigarettes hidden in a kitchen cupboard, bringing the total value of illicit tobacco seized over two days to around £30,000.

Council officials confirmed:

"The council will not hesitate to prosecute in these cases. We won’t allow our neighbourhoods and High Streets to be dragged down by illegal activities such as these."