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Illegal cigarettes were
hidden in shop
A raid on a Liverpool shop found
illicit cigarettes and tobacco concealed in a junction box and hidden
compartment. Liverpool Magistrates Court heard that officers from the City
Council's Alcohol
and Tobacco Unit visited the Perfect Food Stores, in West Derby Road, Tuebrook,
in April 2016, accompanied by a tobacco sniffer dog.
Thy found a total of 476 packets of cigarettes and 119 pouches of tobacco in a
disused BT junction box at the back of the shop and in a hidden compartment
under the counter.
All the cigarettes and tobacco had been imported in the UK without any duty
being paid. None had the correct English health warnings on them, with the
cigarette packets having warnings in Polish or Russian and the tobacco having
Spanish, Dutch and French health warnings.
The shop's owner, Wasim Ali, aged 38, of West Derby Road, admitted 1 offence
under the Consumer Protection Act.
He was fined £300, ordered to pay a £30 victim surcharge and £300 in costs.
He said that, in mitigation, that has was unaware that the cigarettes were in his
shop and being offered for sale and that he was not often in the shop, due to
health issues. Councillor Steve Munby, cabinet member for neighbourhoods, said:-
"We will take the strongest action against shops which sell illicit tobacco. The
sale of cheap cigarettes because Tax has been avoided, encourages smoking with
serious consequences on health." |
