North Lanarkshire Council Trading Standards Officers seize counterfeit and illicit cigarettes and tobacco

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Trading Standards Officers from North Lanarkshire Council have seized a major haul of counterfeit and illicit cigarettes and tobacco.A total of 24,500 cigarettes and 7.55kg of hand rolling tobacco were removed from four premises in Airdrie, Coatbridge, Wishaw and Newmains.The team were helped by Boo, a dedicated tobacco detection dog, who found the concealed products.The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now.

Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android The action was part of Operation CeCe Scotland, a joint initiative between Scottish trading standards services and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to tackle the illegal tobacco trade at retail level.“This is an excellent outcome for our officers, taking a significant quantity of illegal cigarettes and tobacco out of circulation and protecting the public,” said Councillor Helen Loughran, convener of the environment and climate change committee.“Counterfeit tobacco has often been found to contain more tar and carbon monoxide than legal products and, in some cases, glass and rat droppings."Some illegally manufactured cigarettes also do not self-extinguish, as legal cigarettes do, which could lead to house fires."Paul Bannister, protective services manager, added: "The trade in illegal tobacco products costs the Treasury £2 billion each year and harms legitimate businesses, as well as presenting a serious