Ross Shopekeeper Fined For Selling Illegal Cigarettes

[Colin James]

Another....

 

 

 

Herefordshire Council’s trading standards service, in partnership with West Mercia Police, carried out a joint raid at the Europe Quality Food shop in Ross-on-Wye. This resulted in the arrest of Mr. Karzan Elias.

Officers found a secret compartment of illegal tobacco products hidden behind a magnetised stock room fuse box. Most of the cigarettes and hand rolling tobacco were counterfeit and all goods had evaded UK duty.

Karzan Elias, trading as Europe Quality Food, pleaded guilty at Hereford Magistrates’ Court on 16 December to selling illegal fake and smuggled tobacco products. He was ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £2900.

Marc Willimont, head of development management and regulation for Herefordshire Council, said: “This year alone Herefordshire Council’s trading standards service has seized nearly half a million illegal cigarettes and will continue to target those criminals involved. The sale of illegal cigarettes and tobacco harms honest local businesses and costs the UK tax payer up to £2bn a year

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“Although all tobacco is harmful, the cheap price of this illegal tobacco makes it easier for children to start smoking, as we find these shop keepers rarely care about who they it sell to. We are finding that fewer people are prepared to turn a blind eye to this practice and Herefordshire Council will therefore work with its partners to keep the pressure up on those who continue to sell it. I would ask anyone with any information on this sort of trade to make a real difference in keeping illegal tobacco off the streets by reporting it us."

If anyone has any information regarding the sale of illegal tobacco within Herefordshire, please contact trading standards on 01432 261761.

 

 

[George Armstrong]

Where does Mr Karzan Elias originally come from, Colin? And don't anyone say Poland as that urban myth is getting a bit tedious now...

[Bilbobobby]

This shop was in front of the council licensing committee on 07 February applying for an alcohol licence. The applicant was a Monika Plevyte from Gloucester. Both the police objected to the application. She - it was established - is a front for Karzan Ella's who owns the lease. The committee heard that when Trading Standards raided the shop last year she was in the act of selling rolling tobacco to a customer - tobacco that was non duty paid. When the shop was searched a switch when pressed revealed a hidden storage hole behind the fuse box. This is where illegal or smuggled tobacco was hidden. Ms Plevyte produced a petition of 200 names supporting her application. Her solicitor asked that she be given a chance...when she was pressed she said she was an employee and did what Mr Elias said. Committee decision....refused.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when tackling contraband or smuggled tobacco

Oh what are their nationalities...Lithuanian

[Colin James]

This shop was in front of the council licensing committee on 07 February applying for an alcohol licence. The applicant was a Monika Plevyte from Gloucester. Both the police objected to the application. She - it was established - is a front for Karzan Ella's who owns the lease. The committee heard that when Trading Standards raided the shop last year she was in the act of selling rolling tobacco to a customer - tobacco that was non duty paid. When the shop was searched a switch when pressed revealed a hidden storage hole behind the fuse box. This is where illegal or smuggled tobacco was hidden. Ms Plevyte produced a petition of 200 names supporting her application. Her solicitor asked that she be given a chance...when she was pressed she said she was an employee and did what Mr Elias said. Committee decision....refused.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when tackling contraband or smuggled tobacco

Oh what are their nationalities...Lithuanian

 

Thank you for this update, good to see the council refused.