Two shopkeepers appeared at Cheltenham Magistrates Court for sentencing on 29th April after pleading guilty to selling illegal cigarettes and tobacco.
Amratlal Fatania, cialis 62, viagra 40mg proprietor of World Foods, 10 Russell Street, Stroud, had pleaded guilty at a previous hearing to eight charges of possessing for sale incorrectly labelled and counterfeit tobacco products.
Following a report from the police, Trading Standards officers visited the shop in October 2014 and seized illegal cigarettes and hand rolling tobacco hidden on the premises.
All tobacco seized was illegal because it did not carry the correct health warnings and no duty had been paid. Additionally, some of the cigarettes were counterfeit copies of an Imperial Tobacco brand.
Magistrates imposed a sentence of 40 weeks imprisonment plus full prosecution costs of £1335. This is Fatania’s third conviction of this type. He has previously served a prison sentence for selling illegal tobacco. Magistrates also ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the seized tobacco.
Sentence was also passed on Barham Hassan Rahim, an employee at Super Store Unit 11, Grosvenor House, Station Road, Gloucester who pleaded guilty to 13 charges of selling and having in possession for sale counterfeit Mayfair and Palace branded cigarettes.
The two owners of the shop, Wahib Bude and Saman Mohammed pleaded guilty to illegal tobacco offences in February 2015 and received suspended prison sentences.
Rahim pleaded not guilty at the outset but changed his plea after a trial date had been set. He has previous convictions for the sale of counterfeit cigarettes dating back to July 2012 in Loughborough.
During two trading standards inspections at Super Store counterfeit cigarettes were found in a bin on one occasion and on the second occasion, with the assistance of a tobacco detection dog from BWY Canine, cigarettes were found under floor boards.
Rahim was sentenced to ten weeks imprisonment suspended for 18 months and £500 costs, and the seized tobacco was ordered to be forfeited and destroyed.
Cllr Will Windsor-Clive, cabinet member for fire planning and infrastructure said, “We all know that smoking is bad for us but it is significant that since 2011 half the illegal tobacco seized by trading standards in Gloucestershire has been counterfeit.
“With counterfeit cigarettes there is no quality control. Dust from the factory floor, plastic, sand and even rats’ droppings are known to have been found in these cigarettes.
“We will continue to pursue shop owners and their employees who sell illegal tobacco.”