Thousands of illicit cigarettes sniffed out by dog at shops

Tobacco detection dog, named Boo, uncovered 50,000 illegal cigarettes during searches of four shops.

20th May 2023

Tens of thousands of illegal cigarettes were discovered in shops in Glasgow’s southside following a search.

A trained tobacco detection dog, named Boo, uncovered 50,000 illegal cigarettes during searches of four shops in Govanhill.

The shop visits were carried out as part of Operation CeCe Scotland, a joint initiative between Scottish Trading Standards Services and HMRC which aims to tackle the illegal tobacco trade at retail level.

Glasgow City Council said it was “treats ahoy” for Boo, who is trained to sniff out tobacco that has been hidden and would not be visible during a routine inspection.

Boo’s skills allow officers to find products which would be potentially dangerous and harmful.

A Glasgow City Council spokesperson said: “Our recent operation, in partnership with Police Scotland, was a success thanks to Boo, the tobacco detection dog who helped trading standards officers uncover over 50,000 illicit cigarettes in four premises in the Govanhill area.

“The visits were carried out as part of Operation CeCe Scotland which is a joint initiative between Scottish Trading Standards Services and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to tackle the illegal tobacco trade at retail level.

“Boo is trained to sniff out tobacco that’s been purposefully hidden in locations which would not have been apparent during a routine inspection allowing officers to find potentially dangerous and harmful products.”