Illicit tobacco: Newcastle retailer fined over £2200 and given community order

A shopkeeper from Newcastle-under-Lyme has been fined and given a 12 month Community Order for selling illicit tobacco.

Hardi Saleh, owner of Newcastle Mini Market, pleaded guilty to 14 trading standards offences at a previous hearing at North Staffordshire Justice Centre on 9 January. He was ordered to do 220 hours unpaid work and pay costs of £2,245.

Staffordshire County Council said their Trading Standards officers seized illegal cigarettes and tobacco during two inspections in 2021, with a retail value of just over £8000.

The 47-year-old of Pear Tree Lane in Newcastle was selling packs of 20 cigarettes for as little as £5.00 per pack when officers raided the shop.

“Illicit and counterfeit tobacco damages communities and harms legitimate businesses and we will take action against traders who knowingly sell it. Today’s sentence should act as a reminder to others selling such products that we take the issue seriously,” Victoria Wilson, cabinet member with responsibility for Trading Standards at Staffordshire County Council, said.

“Our officers continue to work hard to combat the sale of all illicit goods, especially alcohol and tobacco which can be extremely harmful. The team do rely on intelligence from members of the public and businesses and anyone with information should contact the team.”

The council added that its Trading Standards service has uncovered over three million illegal cigarettes and almost 200kg of illegal hand rolling tobacco with an estimated street value of £1,026,476 during recent years.