A Teeside retailer has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison for selling counterfeit and illegal cigarettes to children.
Azem Ahmed, 28, of Vicarage Avenue, and business owner of The Norton Shop on Norton Road, from August 2020, was sentenced at Teesside Crown Court following an investigation by Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council’s Trading Standards team.
Ahmed previously pleaded guilty to nine charges and was convicted of a further 11 charges in connection with the sale and possession for sale of counterfeit and illicit tobacco, contrary to the Trade Marks Act 1994 and the Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products Regulations 2015.
Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council’s Trading Standards team began an investigation in January 2019 when a tobacco brand representative contacted them with concerns after making a test purchase at the shop.
This led to Trading Standards officers visiting the shop to make an undercover purchase, where they were sold a packet of 20 illicit cigarettes which had no identification numbers and was not in plain standardised packaging as required by The Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products Regulations 2015 nor did it include the required health warnings.
Officers searched the premises during a visit in February 2019 where they found illicit tobacco and cigarettes behind the shop counter. A further test purchase was made in July 2019 revealed that sales of illicit cigarettes were still taking place from the premises.
Teesside Magistrates’ Court granted a closure order of the shop in August 2019 but when it reopened three months later the Council’s officers began to receive complaints of sales of counterfeit and illegal cigarettes and vapes to children.
As well as reports of sales made to children, the Court heard how a packet of cigarettes could be bought from the shop for £5, well below the average cost.
Further investigations and searches by the Council’s officers revealed illicit tobacco and cigarettes stashed in the shop as well as in the bedroom, wardrobes, kitchen and yard of a neighbouring flat and hidden in a custom-made roof compartment.
Despite several warnings, Ahmed repeatedly continued to sell illicit cigarettes, vapes and tobacco products at The Norton Shop which led to magistrates granting a second closure order of the shop and a closure order of the neighbouring flat in January 2022. A third closure order of the shop was granted in December 2023.
This extensive investigative work was carried out as part of Operation Cece, which is run in partnership with the National Trading Standards and HMRC to help tackle the sales of illicit tobacco.
Councillor Norma Stephenson, the Council’s Cabinet Member for Access, Communities and Community Safety, said: “Illicit tobacco products can be very dangerous because there is no way of knowing what they contain without testing them.
“Despite the warnings and closure orders, Mr Ahmed persistently flouted the law and put his customers at risk by selling these products and very worryingly he was happy to sell cigarettes and vapes to children. We have a zero-tolerance approach to the sale of counterfeit and illegal cigarettes and had no option but to bring him before the courts.
“I would like to thank our Trading Standards officers who worked tirelessly with Cleveland Police and HMRC to bring Mr Ahmed to justice. I hope this sentence sends a clear message that business owners who don’t follow the law will face the consequences.
“I’d also encourage residents to report any sales of illicit tobacco to us so we can take the necessary action. Our Trading Standards team can be reached by calling 01642 526560 or emailing trading.standards@stockton.gov.uk.”
Chief Inspector Andy Evans, from Stockton’s neighbourhood policing team, said: “I’m pleased the court has recognised Ahmed’s persistent disregard to abide by the law and brazenly continue to sell cigarettes and vapes to individuals including children. His actions to supply illegal tobacco put customers and children’s health at risk purely so he could make a profit.
“We work closely with Trading Standards and other agencies to support these investigations and ensure individuals like Ahmed are held to account for their actions. I want to take this opportunity to warn others who are also supplying illegal substances to expect to be found out and face punishment.”
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