Wembley shop fined £9,000 for illegal tobacco haul

A Wembley business has been ordered to pay more than £9,000 after admitting offences linked to the sale of illegal tobacco products.

Namkeen Pan House, on Ealing Road, was prosecuted following a Brent Council Trading Standards investigation that uncovered illicit tobacco products worth almost £17,500.

The case began when a Brent Council Environmental Health Officer, carrying out a routine inspection of the premises, spotted tobacco products being kept behind the counter and reported their concerns to Brent Council Trading Standards.

The following day, Trading Standards officers paid the business a visit and seized illicit tobacco products with an estimated retail value of just under £17,500.

The haul included nearly 1,500 packs of oral tobacco, which are prohibited for sale in the UK. Other tobacco products seized breached legal requirements relating to packaging and health warnings, which are designed to protect consumers and ensure compliance with tobacco control regulations.

Councillor Promise Knight, Cabinet Member for Cleaner Streets, Transport and Public Realm said: "Illegal tobacco has no place in Brent. It puts customers at risk, undermines public health and undercuts honest businesses that play by the rules.

"This prosecution sends a clear message. If you sell illegal tobacco products in our borough, you can expect to face enforcement action and prosecution."

When sentencing, the Magistrates described the offences as a serious breach of government regulations. They noted that the business did not normally sell tobacco products, but had nevertheless chosen to stock and sell them. The court found the director's claim that he was unaware the products were illegal to be "extraordinary".

In total, the penalties and costs amounted to £9,233 - the director was fined £4,000 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £2,000, Brent Council was awarded £2,233 in costs, and the company itself was fined a further £1,000.

Brent Council will continue to carry out test purchases and inspections to ensure businesses are complying with sales legislation.

People can make a real difference to help keep more illegal tobacco off the streets by reporting businesses that supply it to the Citizens Advice Helpline on 0808 223 1133.