Canine ‘cops’ with super sensory skills have helped to sniff out a haul of illegal cigarettes, vapes and hand-rolled tobacco.
The seized products, valued at £25,000, were recovered following a targeted day of action by Sunderland’s Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT), backed by the North East Regional Crime Unit (NEROCU), Sunderland City Council trading standards officers and a specialist dog team.
They paid visits to a range of premises across Sunderland and Washington suspected of selling illegal produce.
Sniffer dogs Cooper, a red lab, and spaniel Griff, who have been specially trained to detect tobacco and vapes, put their noses to work sniffing out hidden contraptions designed to conceal illegal produce.
Officers recovered produce from a variety of locations, including a hydraulic lift hidden under a CCTV unit, and from the inside of an electric butchering bone saw.
The teams also seized 23 pouches of illegal shisha and 496 non-compliant food items.
“We’ll continue to work with our partners to carry out unannounced visits to stores which we believe are selling illegal products.
“What may seem like a harmless vape to some, may actually be linked to much wider types of offending, often with serious and organised crime.”
He added: “Thank you to everyone involved in making this outcome a successful one.
“Especially members of the public who’ve come forward and provided us with information on suspicious activity.
“Your support is invaluable.”
“These seizures and our ongoing work with Northumbria Police and other agencies, are an important part of driving illegal tobacco and other prohibited goods out of Sunderland.
“A smoker might be thinking they’re getting a bargain but if it’s illegal it often has links to organised crime, the drugs trade, human trafficking, loan sharks and it’s very likely that it has been smuggled into the country and is also fake.
“This is to say nothing of the floor sweepings or saw dust that can be in illegal tobacco.
“Smoking kills up to two in three lifetime smokers and the sales of these illegal products isn't generally subject to the usual age checks, so they're as likely to be sold to children, getting them hooked on a lethal and possibly fatal addiction.
“From the beginning of June 2025, it has been illegal for businesses to sell or supply single use vapes.”
The ban was introduced to reduce environmental damage caused by the devices and in an effort to cut the number of children and young people vaping.
“I would urge anyone who comes across the sale of illegal tobacco and/or any other prohibited products to report it, via: https://www.sunderland.gov.uk/article/29944/Illegal-tobacco-and-tobacco-products, so we can take action.”
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Reports of suspicious activity can be made by sending Northumbria Police a direct message on social media, or by visiting the force website.
Anyone unable to contact the force online, can call 101.
Neighbourhood officers are problem solvers, change-makers, and protectors at the heart of a community.
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