Former retailer Jutyar Jelal Salah has been jailed for 22 months after being found guilty of possessing more than 77,000 illegal cigarettes and 16kg of hand rolling tobacco.
The 36-year-old owned Easy Shop on Station Street in Spalding, Lincolnshire, and was issued two closure orders in September 2023 and April 2024 after raids uncovered illegal cigarette sales.
Following the closure of his premises, he “persisted by selling cigarettes from his car” in Spalding town centre, reported Lincolnshire City Council.
He received a 10 month suspended sentence and was ordered to pay £18,428 in costs.
Within weeks of receiving his suspended sentence, Salah was “caught red handed” after police and Trading Standards retrieved illegal cigarettes from a container.
The council said he admitted it was his intention to sell the illicit items as part of a home delivery service.
“Mr Salah was given opportunities to work towards rehabilitation but instead choose to commit further offences so was rightly brought before the courts once again,” said Insp Matthew Dickinson from Lincolnshire Police.
“This is an excellent result and demonstrates how serious the courts take this sort of offending, rightly recognising the impact on the wider community.”
Sentencing Salah, the judge said: “You were warned when sentenced for the suspended sentence order. It was suspended out of generosity so you could benefit from it and achieve rehabilitation.
“You went on almost immediately to commit further offences. I have considered whether I can suspend, but I am afraid by your behaviour you have made that an impossibility”.
He was sentenced to 22 months at Lincoln Crown Court on 11 July.
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