A SHOPKEEPER who sold more than 700 cigarettes without health warnings has been fined after being caught — by a sniffer dog.

Bawig Rasouli was fined £1,600 by Bolton magistrates after his business, Choman Mini Market, in Halliwell Road, was found to be selling cigarettes illegally.

It is the second time that the shop has been brought before the courts for selling cigarettes without health warnings after Farhad Babaker was fined £10,000 for selling them at his business.

The shop was then called Roman Mini Market, but has since changed its name.

Rasouli's shop was raided by officers from Trading Standards, a tobacco detection dog and an officer from the North West Illicit Tobacco Team on January 12.

The officers initially found 35 packets of cigarettes and tobacco in a carrier bag behind the counter, which did not feature the required health warnings.

They said that the presumed warnings appeared to be in a foreign language.

In addition, a further large quantity of cigarettes and 70 packets of hand rolling tobacco was found concealed in the cellar wall, behind some shelving.

A total of 737 packets of cigarettes and 70 50g packets of hand rolling tobacco were seized for further investigation, and were later destroyed.

Packets marked with brands such as Amber Leaf tobacco and Mayfair, Marlboro and L&M cigarettes were counterfeit.

Rasouli admitted that he had bought the cigarettes, and said he had purchased them from an unknown man who had visited his shop.

He claimed that he did not realise there was a problem, because he was new to the business, but said that a friend later brought it to his attention.

Despite knowing of the issue, he continued to sell the products to recover his costs, but later apologised for what he had done.

Rasouli, aged 37, of Halliwell Road, was also ordered to pay costs of £1,534, and a victim surcharge of £20.

He pleaded guilty to 12 offences under the Consumer Protection Act 1987 for not displaying health warnings, and to four charges of using cigarette and tobacco brandings without permission.

A spokesman for Bolton Council said: "The supply of illegal cigarettes and tobacco is an important issue which we are committed to tackling, and we are pleased with the conviction.

"These cigarettes and tobacco can be sold on at a low price and become more readily available to children and young people, who may be targeted by unscrupulous traders."