Two jailed after huge haul of illegal tobacco seized in North East Lincolnshire

A man and woman have pleaded guilty last week after North East Lincolnshire Council’s Trading Standards team seized the largest-ever haul of illegal cigarettes in the borough.

Trading Standards officers, supported by Humberside Police, executed a search warrant at the property in Exmoor Close, Healing, on 21 November 2021, following reports from the public that illegal tobacco was being stored at the premises. Officers found 386,760 illegal cigarettes and 290 pouches of illegal tobacco, worth in excess of £227,000.

Sentencing of the pair took place at Kingston Upon Hull Crown Court on Thursday (27) by His Honour Judge Thackray KC.

According to North East Linconshire Council, Angela Ammari had pleaded guilty to 11 offences under the Trade Marks Act 1994 relating to 292,000 cigarettes and 50 x 50g pouches of tobacco which were found to be counterfeit copies of genuine brands, at an earlier hearing in October 2022. Nabaz Rasul Mohammed, a shopkeeper of Grimsby, entered guilty pleas to 12 offences under the Trade Marks Act 1994, and a further four offences relating to the packaging of all the products seized, at Grimsby Crown Court.

Upon entry by Trading Standards and Humberside Police during the raid, Ammari immediately told officers where the tobacco products were concealed within the property, taking them to a first-floor bedroom. Within the bedroom, 12 kilos of Turner hand-rolling tobacco and 36,000 cigarettes were recovered.

She then indicated that there were further tobacco products within the loft space of the property. A search of the loft revealed a total of forty-seven boxes and large bags, all containing illegal cigarettes. In total, a further 340,760 cigarettes and 2.5 kilos of tobacco were removed from the loft.

Of the total seized, 292,000 cigarettes, and 50 pouches of tobacco were found to be counterfeit, including brands such as Regal, Richmond, Lambert & Butler, Benson & Hedges, Sovereign, Winston, Marlboro, and Amber Leaf and Golden Virginia tobacco. Had they been genuine, the legitimate value of these goods would have been in excess of £162,372.

Mohammad admitted in his interview that he had been delivering them to a variety of locations but denied selling them.

On passing sentence, His Honour Judge Thackray KC told both defendants that the offences they had committed were serious matters which have a significant impact on the community and the public purse, taking important revenue away from hospitals and schools.

He went on to say that both defendants passed the threshold for custodial sentences but taking into account their previous good character and guilty pleas, he sentenced Mohammed to 18 months in custody, suspended for two years and to attend 20 days of Rehabilitation Activity. Ammari was sentenced to four months in custody suspended for 12 months and must also attend 20 days of Rehabilitation Activity.

Dates were set for a Proceeds of Crime Application to be made. It is anticipated that cost applications will be addressed on conclusion of those proceedings.

Leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, Councillor Philip Jackson, said: “This was the largest illicit cigarettes haul our Trading Standards officers had ever seized and I’d like to thank them for continuing to tackle the issue of illegal cigarettes, tobacco and vapes. This is a prominent problem not only here in North East Lincolnshire, but across the country. I am pleased the defendants have been brought before the court and that we have taken these illegal goods off our streets. A special thanks goes to the Trading Standards team, the council’s legal team, and Barrister Michael Forrest of Wilberforce Chambers, without whom this result would not have been possible.”