Spalding shopkeeper faces bill of almost £3,000 after sellling illegal cigaretts, tobacco and vapes at Euro Star in New Road

Supplying illicit cigarettes, tobacco and vapes which ‘did not comply with UK safety requirements’ has cost a shopkeeper almost £3,000.

Dana Aziz Rasoul, director of Euro Star, New Road, Spalding, pleaded guilty to nine tobacco-related offences at Boston Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

He was fined £1,500 and ordered to pay costs of £1,739 plus a victim surcharge of £150.

Reacting to the convictions, principal Lincolnshire Trading Standards officer Andy Wright, said: “This is the first of a number of premises targeted by Trading Standards and Lincolnshire Police Licensing Team over the summer.

“We have received numerous complaints from legitimate businesses that have been put out of business due to unfair competition from sellers of illegal cigarettes and tobacco like this one.

“All of the cigarettes seized on this occasion were non-duty paid, and many fail to comply with the ignition propensity tests.”

Rasoul, 36, of Iona Close, Leicester pleaded guilty to nine tobacco offences, including producing or supplying tobacco product in breach of packaging regulations, selling goods bearing a false trademark, and selling tobacco products not carrying a combined health warning.

Magistrates ordered the forfeiture and destruction of 7,760 illicit cigarettes, 950g of hand rolling tobacco, and 73 illegal vapes.

Mr Wright added that illegal products can bring an added danger to users.

He added: “Passing this test is a UK requirement to ensure cigarettes left unattended self-extinguish. Without this key safety feature, these illegal cigarettes have an even greater risk of causing a housefire, and we’ve seen such cases here in Lincolnshire that have sadly proved fatal.

“On this occasion we also secured a prosecution for the illegal electronic cigarettes sold on the premises. The vapes seized were intended for the American market, and did not comply with UK safety requirements. Some of the vapes had the same nicotine content as 250 normal king size cigarettes.

“We are aware that the sale of illicit tobacco often attracts other anti-social behaviour to an area, and in many cases, the shops themselves may be part of organised crime groups. If the public understood the criminality these products helped fund, and the increased risks associated with them, I’m sure they wouldn’t be tempted to buy them.”