A LYDNEY shop owner has been sentenced to 26 weeks in prison for 14 charges relating to counterfeit tobacco.
Amir Muhammad Karim, 32, of 29 Shobnall Close, Derby; the owner of Quick Stop on Forest Road, was sentenced on Monday at Cheltenham Magistrates Court.
He faced nine charges of selling or possessing for sale counterfeit Mayfair branded cigarettes, four charges of selling or possessing for sale tobacco without the required UK health warnings, and a further charge of selling or possessing for sale tobacco which was not UK duty paid.
Karim also has to pay an £80 victim surcharge and £1,000 towards prosecution costs.
The sentencing came a year after trading standards officers discovered a secret stash of illegal tobacco hidden in a false ceiling when they visited the premises.
Initially, it looked as though renovation worked had been carried out in the toilet room of the shop, but on closer inspection trading standards discovered that an elaborate mechanical false ceiling had been installed, controlled by remote control motors. When operated, the ceiling descended to reveal a cache of illegal tobacco.
Prior to the visit in March 2015, trading standards had seized tobacco from the shop on two previous occasions and made four test purchases when illegal tobacco was sold.
In total, more than 16,000 cigarettes and around 50kg of tobacco were seized, which the shop would have sold for around £12,000 at £3 per pack of 20 cigarettes and £9 for a 50g pouch of tobacco.
A cash seizure of £1,272.50 was also made from the premises under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
During the previous visits tobacco was found in a vehicle parked behind the shop. Officers had observed a shop employee going to the car to fetch illegal tobacco. The vehicle was seized by officers from HMRC.
Two shop employees who ran the business for Karim have already pleaded guilty and have been sentenced.
Gloucestershire County Councillor Nigel Moor, cabinet member for fire, planning and infrastructure, said: “I am pleased to see that our trading standards service has worked hard to stop the illegal trade of counterfeit tobacco at this store.
“Not only were the shop owner’s actions legally wrong, but morally wrong too as it could have caused significant health issues to anyone buying these illegal products.
“I hope that cases like this act as a warning to traders who are operating illegally. We will bring you to account and see you in court.”
Coun Andrew Gravells, cabinet member for public health, added: “Illegal cigarettes and tobacco can be even more harmful than legally sold products.
“Counterfeit tobacco will not have undergone quality control, which means we do not know what it contains, making it even more dangerous to smoke.”
If anyone has information about illegal tobacco in their area then we would encourage them to report it anonymously by contacting the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 03454 04 05 06.