A SHOPKEEPER in Evesham caught selling illegal tobacco has been fined more than £1,000.

Ahmed Mohammed Ahmed, 37, of Juniper Avenue, Gloucester, pleaded guilty at Worcester Magistrates Court on Thursday (July 30) to 18 offences of selling counterfeit and incorrectly labelled tobacco.

The illegal products were sold from Evesham Mini Market in Evesham’s High Street, which Ahmed ran at the time.

Trading standards officers from Worcestershire Regulatory Services uncovered the scam by carrying out test purchases at the store, following a number of anonymous complaints about the sale of non-duty paid and foreign labelled cigarettes.

The officers then visited Evesham Mini Market with police and a sniffer dog and found foreign labelled cigarettes and tobacco being sold.

Cigarettes and tobacco - including counterfeit Golden Virginia Hand Rolling Tobacco and cigarettes not marked with the appropriate warning statements or photographs - were found hidden under shelving units, behind other foods on the shelves and in two holdalls in the staff toilets.

As a result of the investigation Ahmed’s licence to sell alcohol was revoked by Wychavon District Council.

In mitigation Ahmed claimed that he was not aware of the presence of the cigarettes and tobacco and that he had subsequently sold his interest in the business.

Magistrates fined Ahmed £1,080 with a £20 victim surcharge and awarded costs of £3,120.

Councillor Bronwen Behan, joint committee chairman at Worcestershire Regulatory Services, said: “Illegal tobacco has a serious impact on health and legitimate local business.

“It is far from a victimless crime and this case shows that we will move to protect public safety and our communities.”