Sniffer dogs uncover £100k haul of illicit tobacco and vapes in Pendle raids
Specialist sniffer dogs helped uncover more than £100,000 worth of illicit tobacco and vapes hidden inside Pendle shops during a targeted day of action.
Tobacco detection dogs Hugo and Ziggy sniffed out concealed stashes at eight premises across Nelson and Colne during joint raids led by Lancashire County Council’s Trading Standards team alongside Pendle Police.
The operation, carried out on Wednesday, February 11, resulted in the seizure of more than 12,000 packs of illegal cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco, along with £3,000 in cash confiscated under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
Officers said the haul consisted of a mixture of counterfeit and unregistered brands, many in banned colourful packaging and bearing foreign health warnings.
The highly trained dogs - four-year-old Springer Spaniel Ziggy and three-year-old Cocker Spaniel Hugo - are provided by specialist company Wagtail UK and are trained to detect hidden tobacco, vapes and cash in secret compartments.
Each successful find earned the pair a celebratory ball game as a reward.
Trading Standards say tackling the illegal tobacco and vape trade remains a major priority.
Between January 2025 and January 2026, officers confiscated more than 57,000 packs of illicit tobacco and cigarettes and over 27,000 illegal vapes in 300 separate seizures from 162 Lancashire shops.
Councillor Joshua Roberts, Lancashire County Council’s cabinet member for Rural Affairs, Environment and Communities, praised the dogs’ work.
He said: “We are delighted that these incredible tobacco detection dogs, Hugo and Ziggy, were able to track down hidden stashes of tobacco and vapes worth over £100,000. Using the help of partners such as Wagtail UK, and the police, we can tackle rogue traders and find hidden illicit goods.
“The number of seizures and clever hiding places that our officers were able to discover on one single day of action shows what they are dealing with and the high value of the illegal trade in tobacco.
“We want to send a very clear message to unscrupulous retailers that we will take the strongest action to remove illegal products from our high streets.”
Anyone with information about illicit or counterfeit tobacco or vape sales can report it to the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133.