Smuggled cigarettes and tobacco were stubbed out after a raid on two shops in Dover.

KCC Trading Standards officers seized 2,340 single cigarettes in total with 75 pouches of tobacco from the raids in Dover yesterday (Wednesday) and five more in Folkestone.

There were 760 cigarettes discovered at just one of the premises.

The operation was carried out alongside Kent Police and Wagtail International, specialists in detection and dog handler training. Dog handler Huw Lewis-Williams is pictured here with Milo.

The health warnings on the packs were not in English and did not have picture warnings, a legal requirement for them to be sold in the UK.

Steve Rock, head of Kent Trading Standards said: “We are working to stop the trade in illicit tobacco. Smoking is one of the biggest causes of ill health, and illegal tobacco is likely to be sold to children and undermine people’s attempts to quit smoking.

“Illicit tobacco requires organised transport and supply networks, which means organised crime comes into an area, the sales funding other criminal activity, at the expense of the local community and economy.”

Investigations are continuing by both Trading Standards and HMRC following the seizures.

Mr Rock said: “The tobacco and cigarettes are often hidden behind false walls or in secret drawers, and so we use sniffer dogs as they are vital in detecting these hidden illegal stashes.”

A Wagtail sniffer dog was used in the operations in Dover and Folkestone.

Immigration officers were also called and a man was arrested on suspicion of entering the country illegally.

PC John Weller of the Community Safety Unit said: “This was a good result, with tobacco being seized and a person detained for suspected immigration offences.

“It’s a great example of how we work together with partner agencies to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour.”