Shopkeeper is jailed over 27,000 illegal cigarettes

A CARDIFF shopkeeper was storing around 27,000 illegal cigarettes worth almost £10,000 in his bedroom, a court has heard.

Alan Alias, 31, of Blackoak Road, was found guilty of being knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of excise duty on Tobacco and Alcohol goods at Cardiff Crown Court.

He was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment following an investigation by HM Revenue and Customs.

Mr Alias’ shop and flats, in Clifton Street, Cardiff, were searched by police and HMRC officers in February 2015.

Speaking after sentencing, a spokesman for HMRC said: “Inside a locked bedroom of one of the flats, HMRC Officers found 26,873 cigarettes and 6.05kg of hand-rolling tobacco worth £9,539.77 in unpaid excise duty and VAT.

“Alias claimed that the tenant of the flat ‘Tony’ had just left minutes before police officers arrived and that Alias was only in the flat because ‘Tony’ had invited him to dinner.

“Alias said that he had never been inside that flat before and had no knowledge of the cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco found in the bedroom even though Alias’ fingerprints were found to be on a cigarette box and plastic bags inside the bedroom.”

The spokesman added: “When officers searched Alias he was also found to be carrying £4,110 in cash, which was seized.

“Two previous visits to Alias’ shop by HMRC officers resulted in seizures of illegal cigarettes, hand-rolling and shisha tobacco and alcohol, totalling £6,441.08 in unpaid excise duty and VAT.”

The shopkeeper was convicted and sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court to 12 months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £100.