Taunton shopkeeper pleads guilty to selling counterfeit tobacco
The discovery was made by Trading Standards back in December 2021
Coffee beans and garlic wasn't enough to let one local shopkeeper get away with selling counterfeit tobacco.
Trading Standards officers found nearly £11,000 worth of it hidden under the floor of the Wawel Polish Shop when they visited back in December 2021.
Allen Ahmadi, who owns the Wawel Polish Shop, has been ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work after pleading guilty to selling counterfeit tobacco earlier this month at Taunton Magistrates Court.
The substance was being sold without the legal health warnings.
The court heard that when officers from the Heart of the South West Trading Standards Service visited and then searched the shop in December 2021, they discovered 1,561 packets of cigarettes and 70 pouches of hand rolling tobacco concealed under the floor, with a sell-on value of £10,800.
Coffee beans and garlic had been laid over the tobacco in what Trading Standards have called 'a failed attempt' to mask the scent.
The Magistrate said that it was ‘a very serious offence’ but acknowledged Ahmadi’s guilty plea and that that this was his first offence.
Ahmadi was given a Community Order and ordered to pay costs of £400 and a £95 victim surcharge.
Alex Fry, Operations Manager for Heart of the South West Trading Standards, said “This illegal tobacco was hidden in a concealment and attempts had been made to prevent detection dogs from finding it. However, that didn’t work, and we are pleased we managed to remove it from supply and take action against the seller.
“Trading Standards will continue to keep seizing illicit tobacco and take robust enforcement action against rogue traders.”
Cllr Federica Smith-Roberts, Lead Member for Communities, Housing and Culture at Somerset Council, said: “Counterfeit tobacco presents a genuine added health risk above and beyond that of legal tobacco.
“It isn’t subjected to the same quality control checks as legal tobacco and is often found to include high levels of contaminates which are not present in legally produced tobacco.”