MARKET TRADER FINED £110K OVER FAKE TOBACCO
MARKET STALLHOLDER MUST PAY £100K AFTER POLICE FIND CASH AND STASH
A MARKET stall trader from Hayes has been fined £110,000 for money laundering and possession of counterfeit tobacco products.
Harmohan Singh Nangpal, of Langdale Drive, was convicted of eight trade marks offences and four money laundering offences at Isleworth Crown Court in September 2016 .
Nangpal, who traded at a stall in Aylesbury, was ordered by the court to pay back the estimated proceeds of his criminal activities, amounting to £95,000, as well as £15,000 in costs to Hillingdon Council .
The 43-year-old was also handed 12 separate 12-month jail sentences to run concurrently, which were suspended for two years.
If Nangpal fails to pay within three months of his sentencing, he will face two years in prison.
The market trader’s Langdale Drive address was raided in September 2014, and substantial quantities of counterfeit and non duty paid tobacco products were uncovered.
Around 1,000 packets of cigarettes and 1,000 pouches of tobacco were found bearing counterfeit trademarks for brands including Marlboro, Benson & Hedges, and Golden Virginia.
Nangpal had also hidden more than £50,000 in cash in his house, concealed in his toilet, in rubbish bins and under his mattress.
Hayes market trader guilty of possessing counterfeit tobacco and laundering £50k hidden in toilet, bin and under mattress
Councillor Jonathan Bianco , cabinet member for finance, property and business services, said: “During the trial, prosecutors argued Mr Nangpal had bought a house using his ill-gotten gains, so it’s only right he should have to pay the money back.
“I hope this result sends a clear message that crime doesn’t pay in Hillingdon.
“We will continue to take a tough stance against anyone we find trading in counterfeit goods, which can put residents’ health at risk and undermine legitimate trade.”
Nangpal was sentenced on December 18.