Tobacco sniffer dogs

As well as costing the UK government billions of pounds every year, the illegal tobacco trade can take business away from legitimate vendors and act as a money stream for criminal gangs.

Whether tobacco products are being sold illegally or are counterfeit and do not comply with the UK safety standards, tobacco sniffer dogs can play a large part in assisting the fight against the trade of illegal tobacco goods.

Our tobacco sniffer dogs are trained to detect both real and counterfeit tobacco. This means they can detect products that are being trafficked or sold in local shops, as well as cigarettes that have been smuggled into locations where they are not permitted, such as hospital and healthcare environments.

We can deploy our tobacco detection dogs and their expert handlers to locations across the UK. Due to our extensive experience, we are trusted by the police, preventative organisations and private businesses to provide a professional solution.

Why use K9 Deployment's
tobacco detection dogs

Using our tobacco dogs:

  • Provides more accurate detection than human search teams
  • Assists enforcement agencies with gathering intelligence
  • Can act as a deterrent to criminal activity
  • Allows searches to take place in hard-to-reach locations

Our tobacco sniffer dogs operate nationwide and can search:

FAQs: Tobacco detection dogs

Are tobacco detection dogs really that effective?

A dog’s nose has up to 300 million olfactory receptors – we have up to six million – so scientists estimate that a dog’s sense of smell can be between 10,000 to 100,000 times more powerful than ours. Once trained, they can detect tobacco, whether real or fake, extremely accurately, even if it is hidden behind a wall or under a floor. In the fight against the illegal tobacco business, dogs are proven to be more efficient than human search teams.

How are tobacco dogs trained?

Training is based on scent. Using real and counterfeit tobacco products, and their favourite ball or toy, the tobacco detection dogs are taught to ‘sniff’ out the tobacco products. The use of toys helps the dog to see it as a game, so they enjoy what they do.

Why are counterfeit (fake) tobacco products so dangerous?

There is no guarantee that fake tobacco products comply with the UK safety standards that licensed sellers must adhere to. Such products may include extremely dangerous ingredients that can easily cause a fire, even if the user thinks they have stubbed a cigarette out, and can also cause increased harm to the smoker.

Our Services

Our Accreditations

BSA

As a BSA Certified Supplier, we adhere to the highest standards of integrity, safeguarding, and professional quality. Our BSA certification provides assurance that we meet strict criteria for school placement and student support and are committed to providing the highest levels of service and support to the education sector.

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Cyber Essentials Plus

Cyber Essentials Plus is an advanced, UK Government-backed certification that verifies an organisation’s cybersecurity against common threats through independent, hands-on technical testing. Requiring an independent, external, and internal audit of systems by an approved assessor.

Cyber Essentials Plus Provides higher assurance to our clients, regulators, and partners that security measures are effectively implemented.

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SafeContractor Approved

We have achieved SafeContractorapproval following an assessment of our health & safety documentation, and compared against the SafeContractor Assessment Standards, which set out the health & safety standards required to achieve approval.

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ISO9001:2015

We are working towards achieving certification to ISO 9001:2015. We have appointed ISOQAR to conduct an external audit of their management system and to provide UKAS accredited certification against the standard. Following a successful Stage 1 and 2 audit, they will be issued with a UKAS accredited certificate.

If you would like any further information or clarification, please do not hesitate to contact us on 0161 865 3699.

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NCTAS P Accredited

We are a National Canine Training and Accreditation Scheme – Private Sector (NCTAS-P) affiliated company with NCTAS-P accredited teams listed on the GOV.UK list of NCTAS-P accredited teams.

NCTAS-P is a UK Government backed scheme that see’s dog teams accredited by approved police instructors using explosives informed by the threat picture.

NCTAS-P is underpinned by an ongoing and wide-ranging program of Government commissioned scientific research ensuring training and accreditation standards are relevant to the current threat.

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NASDU Certified​

We are proud to be an associate company member of the National Association of Security Dog Users (NASDU).

NASDU promotes high standards, excellent training and ongoing education in the private security dog sector. We abide by the guidance & recommendations contained within British Standard 8517-1 for General Purpose Dogs & BS8517-2 for Detection Dogs. All our handlers are NASDU certified.

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British Standard 7858

This British Standard sets the standard for screening security personnel working in an environment where safety of people, goods or property is essential.

It includes data security, sensitive and service contracts and confidential records.

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SIA Licensed

Our dog handlers hold Security Industry Authority (SIA) licences.

The SIA is a statutory organisation that is responsible for regulating the private security industry in the UK.

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DBS Checked

All our handlers have undergone a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, which searches for criminal records and activity.

As we regularly provide services to the education and healthcare sectors, the enhanced check shows that our handlers are suitable to work with children and vulnerable adults.

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