Sniffer dogs strike again: increasingly concealed tactics by UK retailers make raids more challengin

In England, over 500,000 illegal e-cigarettes have been seized during a crackdown by trading standards teams.

This seizure occurred within six months ending in September, following the launch of Operation Joseph.

The latest raid targeted a shop in Tamworth, Staffordshire, where illegal e-cigarettes were discovered with the help of specially trained sniffer dogs.

The local trading standards team reported that some of the packaging for the illegal e-cigarettes appeared to be aimed at children.

E-cigarettes can only be legally sold to individuals aged 18 and over, but the low prices of illegal products are particularly appealing to children.

UK law also covers regulations regarding ingredients, nicotine concentration, and capacity.

Among the items found in Tamworth, some products had a capacity of 14 milliliters, which is seven times the legal limit.

In a similar raid in September at four shops in Newcastle-under-Lyme and Uttoxeter, nearly 1,400 illegal e-cigarettes were discovered, with a market value of approximately £18,000.

Previous tests on illegal e-cigarettes found high levels of hazardous chemicals such as lead, nickel, and chromium, as well as diacetyl, a flavoring banned in the UK due to its association with a serious lung disease known as 'popcorn lung.'

Operation Joseph began in April, and the trading standards team reported a 46% increase in seizures compared to last year.

Stuart Phillips, who founded a company specializing in sniffer dog services after retiring in 2009, has collaborated with police and trading standards teams on many searches.

He stated, "Concealed tactics have become more sophisticated, and human search teams simply cannot find them."

In Derbyshire, one of his dogs discovered a stash of e-cigarettes hidden under kitchen units, which could be raised by a hydraulic system.