Illegal cigarettes found at stores

Two Peterborough shopkeepers who sold illegal cigarettes in their city store have been fined hundreds of pounds.

Sayed Abdullah Hashemi, the owner of EU Food Store 615, based in Lincoln Road, Peterborough, sold counterfeit tobacco to officers from Peterborough City Council’s Trading Standards team during a test purchase operation in November 2018.

When officers returned to the store in January, they seized 3,580 cigarettes and 50g of hand-rolling tobacco from a hidden compartment under the counter.

The cigarettes and tobacco were incorrectly labelled and also failed safety tests. Hashemi appeared at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court and pleaded guilty to six offences in relation to selling counterfeit goods. He was fined £321, ordered to pay costs of £600 and a victim surcharge of £30.

Saman Omar Rashid Barazanjee also appeared at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court, following previous seizures of counterfeit goods from the International Food Store in Fitzwilliam Street. On September 20, 2018 a total of 11,840 cigarettes and 0.95kilos of hand-rolling tobacco were seized from under the counter. On November 21, 2018 officers made a test purchase of counterfeit hand-rolled tobacco. And on January 23, 2019, officers seized 3,660 cigarettes and 0.55kg of hand-rolling tobacco which was being stored at the rear of the shop.

The cigarettes and tobacco were incorrectly labelled and also failed safety tests. Barazanjee pleaded guilty to four offences in relation to selling counterfeit goods and was fined £288, ordered to pay costs of £600 and a victim surcharge of £30.