Man arrested as dodgy tobacco and vapes worth £20k seized by police

Dodgy cigarettes, tobacco and vapes worth more than £20,000 have been seized during a major crackdown in Rochdale. Police and trading standards targeted two shops in the town, with the help of a tobacco-sniffing dog named Syke.

The illicit goods were stashed in hidden compartments, where staff knowingly stored the items, according to Greater Manchester Police. In one store, a stash was found by Syke underneath a toilet.

Officers seized 1,055 packs of illicit cigarettes - made up of around 21,100 cigarettes - with a value of around £12,660. They also recovered 222 packs of hand rolled tobacco, worth £6,216, and 142 illegal vapes.

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GMP says the total haul was worth £20,580, and police believe that money could have been linked to other criminal activity - such as money laundering - if the items had been sold. The investigation is ongoing with trading standards.

Meanwhile, 34-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of immigration offences following the raids. He has since been bailed.

The crackdown was part of a joint operation involving GMP's Rochdale Tutor Unit, which is a team of student officers working to keep the town safe, alongside trading standards and detection dog specialist Wagtail UK. Inspector Taylor, of GMP's neighbourhood policing unit in Rochdale, said: “This is an excellent example of partnership work conducted by the Rochdale Tutor Unit.

Not only do student officers learn the importance of working together to achieve similar goals, but they have also tackled serious organised crime in their local area. It is likely that these seized items have not been through the rigorous checks required in UK legislation and therefore could have