Shopkeeper fined over illegal tobacco

A shopkeeper from Birmingham has been fined following the discovery of around 10,500 illegal cigarettes at his Black Country store.

Customs investigators seized the cigarettes and 3.5 kilos of flavoured tobacco from The Best of Persia Store in Chervill Rise, Heath Town, Wolverhampton during a crackdown on smuggling in the region. The cigarettes included Marlboro, Jin Ling and L&M and had cost the public purse £2,650 in lost revenue because UK duty had not been paid on them.

The situation was uncovered during spot checks on the stock of shop owner Behdad Pourmaradi in April and June last year.

The 33-year-old from Millmead Road, Bartley Green, Birmingham, pleaded guilty to breaking the Tobacco Products Duty Act and was fined £2,000 plus costs of £115.

At Wolverhampton Magistrates Court, District Judge Graham Wilkinson told him: "Tax is always important and even more so in the current economic situation, so I will hit you in the pocket for your actions."

More than 20 shops in Walsall and Wolverhampton were visited during a three-month blitz by customs officers last summer which was aimed at ensuring retailers are operating within the law and not selling smuggled and counterfeit tobacco products.

They made at least five seizures of cigarettes and hand rolling tobacco that had been smuggled into the UK – four in Wolverhampton and one in Walsall.

Kathy Gray, Customs Senior Investigation Officer, said today: "We have active and effective detection teams operating across the West Midlands who will continue to deter and disrupt this form of crime.

"This illegal trade has a devastating impact on legitimate retailers who have to compete with black market traders. We will seize any illicit goods we find and bring those responsible before the courts."

Keith Morgan, detection manager for Revenue & Customs said: "The truth is this type of crime is depriving the public purse of around £3 billion a year in lost revenue."