Posted on Friday 13th January 2023
Stock image of a Trading Standards Officer with Counterfeit Cigarettes
A shopkeeper from Newcastle-under-Lyme has been fined and given a 12 month Community Order for selling illicit tobacco.
Concealed compartment where the illegal tobacco was hidden.
Hardi Saleh, owner of Newcastle Mini Market, pleaded guilty to 14 trading standards offences at a previous hearing at North Staffordshire Justice Centre on 9 January 2023. He was ordered to do 220 hours unpaid work and pay costs of £2,245.
Officers from Staffordshire County Council’s Trading Standards service seized illegal cigarettes and tobacco during 2 inspections in 2021, with a retail value of just over £8000. The seizures were part of an ongoing operation to combat the sale and supply of illegal tobacco.
The 47-year-old of Pear Tree Lane in Newcastle was selling packs of 20 cigarettes for as little as £5.00 per pack when officers raided the shop.
Victoria Wilson, Cabinet Member with responsibility for Trading Standards at Staffordshire County Council said:
“Illicit and counterfeit tobacco damages communities and harms legitimate businesses and we will take action against traders who knowingly sell it. Today’s sentence should act as a reminder to others selling such products that we take the issue seriously.
“Our officers continue to work hard to combat the sale of all illicit goods, especially alcohol and tobacco which can be extremely harmful. The team do rely on intelligence from members of the public and businesses and anyone with information should contact the team.”
In the UK, it is estimated that about one in 10 of all cigarettes and half of all hand-rolling tobacco are not duty paid. The illegal trade in tobacco also has strong links to organised crime and illicit tobacco has a devastating effect on health.
During recent years, Staffordshire County Council’s Trading Standards have uncovered over three million illegal cigarettes and almost 200kg of illegal hand rolling tobacco with an estimated street value of £1,026,476.
People should report the sale of illicit cigarettes to the Staffordshire Fight the Fakes hotline on 01785 330356 or www.staffordshire.gov.uk/fakes