Trading standards officers in Aberdeen have launched a campaign targeting sales of illegal tobacco.
Officers using specialist tobacco sniffer dogs will be checking shops to ensure they are complying with the laws surrounding the sales of tobacco.
The operation will compliment work being carried out as part of Operation CeCe (Scotland), a nationwide strategy devised by HMRC and trading standards to tackle this problem.
Aberdeen City Council trading standards manager, Graeme Paton, said: “We are holding this campaign to highlight the issue to those who might be tempted to buy ‘cheap fags’, to point out who they are funding when they buy this tobacco, and the dangers associated with it. At the same time, we have ongoing concerns about children being supplied tobacco products and becoming addicted.”
He added: “We’d ask people not to buy illegal tobacco and report sales of it to us in confidence so we can make a real difference to help keep more illegal tobacco off the streets – we need to keep the pressure up on those who continue to sell it.”
People can report illegal tobacco sales to trading standards in confidence on 01224 522433.
