A NEWSAGENT has been fined after a raid uncovered more than 100 packets of illegal cigarettes

Shuaib Ahmed was fined £300 at Wigan Magistrates Court following a raid by Bolton Council’s trading standards team in March 2019.

Officers visited Sultania News on Halliwell Road, owned by Ahmed, and uncovered 139 packs of cigarettes and 7 pouches of tobacco which it is illegal to sell in the UK.

A member of staff was working behind the till and officers searched the premises using a specially trained sniffer dog.

Illicit tobacco, which is not in approved UK packaging and does not carry required health warnings, was found under the shop counter and in a cardboard box in a storeroom.

The tobacco was seized by officers and a prosecution case against the shop owner was prepared.

Ahmed, of Pennington Road, Bolton, has subsequently had his licence to sell alcohol revoked by Bolton Council in light of the investigation.

At Wigan Magistrates Court, Ahmed pleaded guilty to two offences under the Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products Regulations (2015) and two offences under the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations (2016). Each offence was also a breach of Section 2 of the European Communities Act 1972.

The case was brought against Ahmed by Bolton Council, and as well as the fines, Ahmed was ordered to pay £200 costs and a £30 victim surcharge.

Cllr Hilary Fairclough, Bolton Council Executive Cabinet Member for Regulatory Services said: “This is a welcome prosecution which we hope will send a message to other retailers in Bolton who are trading in these illicit products.

“The law is quite clear that tobacco sold in the UK must comply fully with packaging regulations. This means they must be in plain packaging and carry the appropriate health warnings. The trade in illicit tobacco, illegally brought in from abroad, poses even greater health risks than legal products – and also deprives the Exchequer of important tax revenue.

“The council will take firm action against retailers who don’t comply with the law and will seize property which is being illegally traded to protect consumers and reduce the risk of harm in our communities. We will also not hesitate to revoke a retailer’s licence to sell alcohol if they have fallen short of the standards we expect of a reputable retailer.”