A TWO-DAY operation which saw hundreds of thousands of illegal cigarettes and tobacco seized wouldn’t have happened without two crime-fighting dogs from Pembrokeshire, their owner has said.

Operation Puggle, which took place on April 3 and 4, saw 242,500 illicit cigarettes and 1,516 pouches of tobacco pouches – worth an estimated street value of £76,000 – seized from eight shops.

Five detection dogs from B.W.Y Canine in Llandissilio took part in the joint operation at Gravesend, involving Kent Police and Kent Trading Standards, customs and the UK Immigration Service.

Stuart Phillips, from BWY Canine, said: “I was tasked by Kent Police and Kent Trading Standards to assist them on Operation Puggle, which is an ongoing operation to disrupt the illegal tobacco trade in Gravesend and tackle organised crime. Over the two days I used five specialist detection dogs to support the operation.

“Without the dogs, there would have been no results, the dogs were the major players in this two-day operation.”

During the operation, one of Stuarts dogs, Bran, indicated there was tobacco behind some tiling in a basement. Officers removed this false panel and found that a tunnel had been dug through to the basement of the adjoining shop.

Inside the tunnel officers found more than 148,000 cigarettes and 1,315 pouches of tobacco, the largest single seizure that team had secured.

“Bran the tobacco detection dog discovered a secret tunnel containing hundreds of thousands of smuggled cigarettes and pouches of tobacco. Without Bran, it would never have been found,” Stuart said.

The following day, officers found a chute behind a counter in another shop, thanks to BWY Canine, following it up to a second floor flat above the shop.

Fellow BWY Canine dog Yoyo gave the indication there was tobacco inside so officers forced entry, finding 58,900 illicit cigarettes and 135 pouches of tobacco hidden behind magnetic concealments inside three false walls.

“On day two, Yoyo identified a room in a block of flats being used to store illegal tobacco. The cigarettes were hidden in specially constructed walls within a bedroom, which was on the second floor in a building. In the same bedroom there was a chute which was used to drop the illegal cigarettes to the shop on the ground floor.

“Cooper the tobacco dog (fox red lab) actually found the chute exit in the shop because a pack of cigarettes was stuck in the chute. Again, none of these finds would have been possible without the dogs.”

Inspector James Beautridge of North Kent’s Community Safety Unit said: ‘The results from these two days shows just how prevalent this issue is, and the lengths to which some shop owners will go in order to hide these products and avoid detection.”

During the operation illegal vapes were also seized and fines were issued for immigration offences.

Stuart and the BWY Canine dogs have been assisting Trading Standards, Police and Customs to disrupt organised crime and tackle illegal tobacco in the UK for a decade now, gaining a reputation amongst law enforcement agencies for providing tobacco and cash detection dogs that get results.

“Over the past 10 years I have worked with over 100 Trading Standards teams and 20 police services, supporting them with specialist tobacco and cash detection dogs.

“In a routine five-day week, myself and the dogs will carry out between 20 and 35 searches of shops, houses and other locations suspected of being involved in the sale and distribution of illegal tobacco.”

Detection dogs

In total, five detection dogs used over the two days.

Cooper – Tobacco dog – Fox Red Lab

Maggie – Cash Dog – Cocker with pink collar

Yoyo – Tobacco Dog – Cocker Spaniel

Bran – Tobacco Dog – Cocker Spaniel

Griff – Toobacco Dog – Liver and white Springer Spaniel

Yoyo indicated on the door to the flat above the shop New Road Groceries.

Maggie found criminal cash in black rucksack at rear of one shop on Milton Road.

Cooper found concealment in Smart Shop yesterday. Cooper also found concealment in New Road Groceries today.

Bran found the tunnel yesterday in Queen Street shop.

Griff worked hard but didn’t find anything unfortunately.