A sniffer dog helped trading standards officers in Sandwell to find more than 5,000 illegal cigarettes and a quantity of counterfeit hand-rolling tobacco on raids on two shops. Yoyo the spaniel helped to find the illegal merchandise in the raids on the shops in West Bromwich and Tipton. The tobacco products were sniffed out by Yoyo from various hiding places including some behind a false panel within a shop's tobacco display.

Some of the illegal brands seized included Jin Ling - which previously failed to comply with safety standards requiring a lit cigarette to be able to self-extinguish when not being actively smoked. Both traders are now subjected to a formal investigation with the risk of facing a criminal prosecution where the penalty could be up to an unlimited fine and/or 10 years' imprisonment.

In addition, one shop faces the risk of losing their alcohol licence. Councillor Darren Cooper, leader of Sandwell Council, said: “This is vital work being done by our trading standards officers. "It is important to crack down on this criminal practice because it is unfair to bona fide shopkeepers if others are selling cheap and illegal products.

“It is also important to point out that it is highly dangerous for people to smoke illegal cigarettes which have not gone through proper product control and which could seriously affect their health.” Bob Charnley, Sandwell’s Trading Standards and Licensing Manager,  said: "The sale of illegal tobacco is a serious criminal offence and we will take action where we can, to clamp down on this illegal practice in order to protect people and the vast majority of our law-abiding local businesses.”

Mr Charnley added: “With the use of sniffer dogs, you may hide it, but we will find it.’’  Anyone being offered cheap tobacco or any other types of illicit goods should report it to Trading Standards by calling the confidential fakes hotline on 0300 303 2636, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or visit our website at www.sandwell.gov.uk/tradingstandards