A canine copper has helped crack a serious crime after sniffing out thousands of illegal cigarettes and kilos of tobacco in a Felixstowe shop.

Billy the police sniffer dog was instrumental in helping Suffolk Trading Standards seize the significant amount of illegal tobacco as agencies continue to protect consumers by cracking down on this serious crime.

Suffolk Trading Standards worked closely with the police and Wagtail UK Limited on the operation, which saw undercover officers purchase illegal tobacco from a premises in the town centre of Felixstowe before carrying out a raid.

This resulted in Billy discovering 8,180 cigarettes and 7,450g of hand-rolled tobacco, with this being detained by Suffolk Trading Standards for further assessment as part of their ongoing investigation into the retailer.

Officers believe that all items were illegally imported into the UK, without duty being paid, meaning that they do not comply with legal packaging and labelling requirements and could prove dangerous to the public.

Illegal tobacco costs the UK economy around £2 billion each year in lost taxation – depriving vital public services, such as the NHS, of much-needed revenue.

It also provides a cheap source of tobacco for children and young people, encouraging them to take up an unhealthy habit which could last a lifetime.

Suffolk county councillor Andrew Reid, Cabinet Member for Public Health, Public Protection and Communities said: "I am delighted that this latest operation has proved such a success and would like to thank officers and partners for their ongoing efforts to rid Suffolk of illegal tobacco trading.

"This is far from being a victimless offence as the sale of illegal tobacco has been linked to organised crime, with this often being the gateway into county lines and the drug supply chain.

"Everyone can play their part in stopping this by reporting illegal tobacco to keep it off the streets and put pressure on those who continue to sell it."

Consumers can protect themselves from inadvertently buying illegal tobacco by looking out for the following:

A lack of health warnings on the packet

Unknown brands

Prices that look too good to be true

Packaging that isn't plain olive green or contains text that is not in English If you suspect someone is selling illegal tobacco in Suffolk, please report it to the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133.