Shop closed down for selling illegal tobacco

A SHOP which refused to stop selling illegal tobacco has been closed by a court.

Potraviny, a European minimarket on Shields Road, in Byker, Newcastle, has been handed a three-month closure order after Newcastle Magistrates’ Court heard it had become a hotbed of “repeated illegal activity”.

Newcastle City Council officers say they carried out “frequent” visits to the shop and seized unlicensed tobacco, but owners continued to sell the illegal items.

The court heard last week how Trading Standards officers had seized 15,700 cigarettes and 3.5kg of hand rolling tobacco in their latest raid on the premises.

Magistrates also ordered three men involved with the business – Frantisek Veris, of Shields Road, Byker; Ronaldo Luis Khoudary, of Stanton Road, Arthur’s Hill and Mohammed Abdul Kadir, of HMP Northumberland – to pay a total of £2,750 in costs.

David Ellerington, the council’s trading standards lead, said: “Frequent visits to this shop had resulted in the seizure of illegal cigarettes and tobacco, but despite this enforcement action, this business has continued to sell them.

“We took the decision that in order to make it clear that this illegal activity will not be accepted in Newcastle we had to go further and I’m pleased the courts have agreed with us.”

He added: “I sincerely hope this delivers a clear message that we will continue to take action against those who refuse to comply with the law.”