Recently, according to a report by the Manchester Evening News, eight illegal cigarette shops in Bury, England, were subjected to a surprise inspection by police and officials from the Trading Standards Bureau.
The investigative team was also accompanied by two search dogs: Billy and Lilly, hunting breeds. They aided in the discovery of several thousand illegal cigarettes. Additionally, they detected 13,000 illegal cigarettes, six kilograms of illegal hand-rolled tobacco, and 700 e-cigarettes in eight targeted shops. The street value of the seized black market tobacco in this operation is estimated to be as high as £12,500.
This regulatory operation is one of the efforts made by multiple government agencies to combat illegal tobacco under the "CeCe Action". During this operation, several businesses were investigated and penalized based on public reports.
Charlotte Morris, the councillor of the minefield and Minister of Culture and Economy, stated:
This operation is a remarkable achievement of our city's criminal investigation unit and municipal government team. The criminal activities involved in the illegal tobacco market not only encompass organized crime, but also have close ties to serious offenses such as human trafficking, drug trafficking, and usury. It is precisely these criminal activities that are perpetuating crime in the community and exploiting vulnerable groups.
The municipal government further stated that it would take action to investigate and crack down on merchants selling tobacco illegally, and will bring these exceptional search dogs to the scenes of investigation.
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