Mohammed Rajak has run his family grocery store in Glasgow's East End for 35 years.

He's seen his business change over that time, but he says the biggest threat to his livelihood right now are shops selling illicit tobacco and vapes.

He says his own shop does not sell such products but there are stores very close by that do.

"Customers know that," Rajak says.

"Sometimes they even come in and say: 'Oh, we've come to the wrong shop'.

"It used to be they would lower their voices. Now it's just brazen: 'Have you got any cheap tobacco?'."

Rajak says he watches as people he has refused to serve walk to the shop he suspects of selling illicit products.

He says they'll sell to anyone, including children, because they're operating without risk.

"You wouldn't you go into a shop and buy out-of-date medicine because it's going to be harmful for you, so I don't know why you'd so something similar with illicit tobacco and vapes," he says.

Trading Standards has described the proliferation of shops selling illicit tobacco as an "explosion" across Scotland's high streets.

The products could have been legally produced for another country but are often made in small unregulated factories that do not comply with any safety rules.

It's these products that are the biggest worry.

Tests have shown they can contain rat droppings and woodchips among other harmful substances.

Buying cheap cigarettes isn't just about not paying tax duty.

Trading Standards say it also directly supports organised crime.

Inverness isn't the sort of place where you'd expect organised crime, but the increase in illicit tobacco there demonstrates the long arms of the gangs involved.

Trading Standards and HMRC recently raided a shop there suspected of selling illicit tobacco.

It was the 11th time Trading Standards had been at the premises since 2024 and the ninth time they'd found or been sold illicit tobacco.

Despite this, the shop remains open.

The officer in charge on the day, who wants to remain anonymous, said: "We're doing as much as we can, but it's very disappointing.

"We could go in every day of the week, and we'd probably find something."

Having found the illicit products, officers bag them up and take them away for further investigation.

They then submit a referral to HMRC who make a further decision on a monetary penalty for the business owner.

These are separate powers from the ones Trading Standards have.

Right now, Trading Standards in Scotland can only issue Fixed Penalty Notices to individuals caught selling tobacco and vapes to underage buyers.

They don't have the regulatory powers of their counterparts in England and Wales to apply to close the businesses.

BBC Scotland News wanted to know how often their existing powers were being used.

Freedom of Information requests were submitted to all of Scotland's councils to ask how many fixed penalty notices had been issued by Trading Standards over the past 10 years.

These could be for underage sales or other breaches like incorrect tobacco display or not asking for age verification.

The responses suggest enforcement activity varies across the country.

They show that North Lanarkshire issued 243 fixed penalty notices, whereas Angus, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles), East Renfrewshire, North Ayrshire, Orkney, Scottish Borders and Shetland issued fewer than 10 each.

East Lothian only held information for the past five years but had not conducted any raids or test purchases.

Over the past 10 years, the figures also suggest underage vaping has become an increasing focus for Trading Standards officers.

They will often use what is known as test purchasing, where a minor will buy cigarettes or vapes in a shop, allowing Trading Standards to issue the fixed penalty notices.

David MacKenzie, chair of the Chartered Trading Standards Institute and head of Trading Standards at Highland Council, says stopping traders in illicit nicotine could be easier if the Scottish government gave them powers comparable to those available south of the border.

"This crime really threatens our communities," he says.

"Organised crime has long been an issue in our big cities, but now it's everywhere."

Although Trading Standards are working to capacity, they would like to do more.

"Some businesses do take the warning and change what they do," MacKenzie says.

"But some others are repeat offenders and it's very frustrating to deal with them."

Public health experts say the issue extends beyond lost tax revenues and unfair competition for legitimate businesses.

People buying illicit tobacco and vaping products may not know what ingredients they contain or whether they meet UK safety standards.

Dr Garth Reid, consultant in public health at Public Health Scotland, says: "Illicit tobacco and vape products undermine efforts to protect health.

"They are cheap, readily available and sold outside the safeguards that apply to regulated products."

She said the government was looking at the reality of the situation to establish the best way to tackle the problem going forward.