A sniffer dog assisted reveal countless unlawful cigarettes – a few of which were fake – stowed away inside a Chester off-licence.
Trading Standards officers from Cheshire West and Chester Council performed an unannounced examination at Deva Wines in Boughton where they found unlawful cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco in a variety of concealed areas.
Deva Wines, which has actually considering that completely closed, and its owner have actually been purchased to pay £10,745 throughout a hearing at West Cheshire Magistrates Court.
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Some of the products were fake – a brand name of cigarettes made without the owner’s authorisation – however the bulk were authentic cigarettes that had actually been smuggled into the UK and did not adhere to the UK product packaging requirements, without any UK health cautions, contravening health packaging policies, so were taken.
In overall, 636 unlawful packs of 20 cigarettes – 12,720 in all – were recuperated together with 14 packs of hand-rolling tobacco. Goods to a worth of £8,476 were taken.
At West Cheshire Magistrates Court, both the business and Mr Asso Hemn Hassan, 39, of Lea Road, Wolverhampton, pleaded guilty to 4 offenses. Deva Wine received overall fines of £10,000 and Mr Hassan, a 12-month social work order, £650 expenses and a victim additional charge of £95.
Councillor Christine Warner, Cabinet Member for Homes, Planning and Safer Communities, said: “Our Trading Standards officers will strongly pursue those associated with the sale of fake products and continue to secure the general public and genuine traders by eliminating poor quality fake items from the market. Crime does not pay.”
The case will now continue to a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing to develop what advantage Mr Hassan had actually received from the criminal activity.
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