Tobacco bootleggers are becoming more inventive in their methods of storing and transporting goods, and thus, police and enforcement officials are adapting in the ways they catch them. The seizure of illegal tobacco products in Hull, England, doubled last year, according to the city council, with more than 2.4 million counterfeit cigarettes confiscated, along with 45,731 illegal vapes, and 25,841 tobacco pouches.
Detection dogs have uncovered illicit tobacco in numerous sophisticated hiding places, including a compartment inside a concrete drain, a delivery chute from an upstairs flat, a false mirror, and a floor safe with a hidden hydraulic lift, the council said.
Rachel Stephenson, head of public protection at the council, said seizures ranged from small traders to “major distributors in the city.” One raid found thousands of counterfeit products hidden inside an industrial bin.
“Our team and our partners demonstrate over and over again that they stay a step ahead of those trading illegal tobacco and vapes,” Stephenson said.