Sutton shop was selling fake cigarettes

Shakhawan Salah (35), of Andrew’s News and Booze on Low Street, pleaded guilty to seven offences of possessing goods with a false trademark for sale at Mansfield Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.

Nottinghamshire County Council’s trading standards team carried out raids of the premises on 14th May and 6th June this year and seized 12,940 counterfeit cigarettes and 6.6kg of fake rolling tobacco.

Sniffer dogs from Wagtail International Specialist Dog Services were used to finds the goods.

Trading standards officers also carried out a test purchase at the shop on 29th July, when they were sold counterfeit cigarettes.

An examination by experts confirmed that the products seized were counterfeit copies of genuine cigarette brands.

Salah was given a 100-hour community order, ordered to pay prosecution costs of £984.80 and a £60 victim surcharge.

Coun Glynn Gilfoyle, chair of the council’s community safety committee, said: “It is extremely disappointing that on three occasions this shop was either caught in possession or selling counterfeit cigarettes and the community punishment order that the shopkeeper has received reflects his flagrant disregard of the law.

“Counterfeit cigarettes are often more harmful to health as they can contain a higher level of toxic chemicals and are more dangerous as they do not burn out if left unattended like genuine products.”