Police dog finds £19,000 of illicit products hidden inside wall of North Tyneside shop

Police have seized £19,000 worth of illicit tobacco products hidden in a North Tyneside Shop.

On Friday, November 15, Northumbria Police and North Tyneside Council's Trading Standards team visited a store in the Prudhoe Street area of North Shields. Once inside the premises, they used a tobacco dog named Griff, which discovered a concealment behind the wall of the shop's storeroom.

Contained within the concealment was a spare remote control, used to operate a hydraulic door which opened the concealment. In it, more than 22,000 cigarettes were found, as well as 119 packets of hand-rolling tobacco and 28 non-compliant e-cigarettes - with an estimated street value of £18,797.

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Disinfectant hand gel had been placed within the concealment with the aim of distracting the tobacco dog.

Inspector Michael Hood of Northumbria Police's Neighbourhood Policing Team in North Tyneside, said the discovery demonstrated his teams "continued commitment to seizing counterfeit goods". He said: "We often find that proceeds from the sales of these products are linked to serious and organised criminality – something which we, as a Force, will simply not tolerate.

"There's also an additional risk to people’s health when purchasing counterfeit products, as the production processes are not regulated."

Coun Karen Clark said: "All tobacco is harmful, but counterfeit products pose an even greater risk to consumers due to their unregulated nature.

"We’ll continue to work closely with the Police to disrupt these illegal activities and ensure North Tyneside remains a safe and healthy place for everyone. I’d encourage residents to stay vigilant and report any concerns, as your information can make a real difference."

Northumbria Police encouraged anyone who wanted to report suspicious activity in their community to do so by sending a direct message to their social media accounts, using the live chat or the Tell Us Something page on the Force's website,.