Undercover Tobacco Law Enforcement Operation Nets 11 Violators

Two female customers walked into smoke shops, grocery stores and gas stations throughout Chesterfield Township to buy cigarettes.

The only thing missing: valid identification stating they were 18 years old.

The undercover tobacco enforcement operation through the  in late June resulted in 11 misdemeanor citations for selling tobacco to a minor. The $50 tickets were issued to clerks who failed to card the underage customers and have not been contested as of Monday. Police did not disclose the businesses where the clerks worked.

With the help of two 16-year-old girls who volunteered to participate in the sting after police contacted , police were able to monitor which clerks illegally sold cigarettes. They gave them marked $10 bills for tracking purposes. Police showed clerks the girls' proper identification and the pack of cigarettes they bought before issuing tickets, police said.

"We randomly sent them into pretty much any business in the township that sold cigarettes over the counter," Detective Sgt. Deron Myers said Monday.

Some of the clerks who sold to the minors failed to ask for identification because they were preoccupied with other tasks or customers, Myers said.