Six individuals have been convicted of being involved in selling illegal tobacco from three Hereford shops.
The cases were heard at Hereford Magistrates’ Court on December 11 following investigations by Herefordshire Council’s Trading Standards officers.
The shops affected were Commercial Road’s International Food and Maxii Mini Market as well as Zabka on Eign Gate
International Food owner Tarik Dosky, 58, of Waggoners Way, Hereford, pleaded guilty to being involved in the sale of illegal tobacco.
Mr Dosky will be sentenced at Worcester Crown Court on January 8, 2019.
Shop employees Mevan Mousa, 37, and Nechiravan Musa, 32, both of Cowleigh, were fined a total of £680 and £480 respectively after pleading guilty to being involved in the sale of illegal tobacco.
Maxii Mini Market employees Marwan Ahmed, 38, and Rebwar Amini, 26, both of Commercial Road, Hereford, pleaded guilty to being involved in the sale of illegal tobacco, and were fined totals of £2750 and £2650 respectively.
Zabka’s Mustafa Mohammed, 40, of Dollery Drive, Birmingham pleaded guilty to being involved in the sale of illegal tobacco.
His sentencing was adjourned until December 19.
Successful raids took place in September and October by Trading Standards and West Mercia Police, with help from Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service as part of a Multi Agency Targeted Enforcement Strategy operation.
Ingenious, remotely controlled hydraulic concealments, full of illegal tobacco, were discovered in the walls and floors of the targeted shops.
If anyone has any information regarding the sale of illegal tobacco within Herefordshire, please contact trading standards on 01432 261761. There is further information about Herefordshire Trading Standards on the Herefordshire Council website at www.herefordshire.gov.uk/trading-standards
