DOUBLE HAUL OF ILLEGAL TOBACCO AND E-CIGARETTES FORFEITED BY HUDDERSFIELD BUSINESS

On Thursday 19 September 2024, at Kirklees Magistrates Court the former Director of Hudds News LTD, Shahram Ahmed Karim, was fined £440, ordered to pay costs of £400 and a victim surcharge of £176, having pleaded guilty to offences under The Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016. The Court also ordered the forfeiture of all seized property. 

In August 2023 officers from West Yorkshire Trading Standards, supported by colleagues from West Yorkshire Police, visited Hudds News, Packhorse Shopping Centre, Kirkgate, Huddersfield following complaints about the sale of Illicit Tobacco and E-Cigarettes. During the visit a total of 186 packs of illegal cigarettes and 8 pouches of illegal tobacco were found in a concealment in a wall behind a mirror. The items seized were not packaged in the standardised format as required by The Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products Regulations 2015 and were in violation of the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 as the prescribed health warnings were not present in English. Some of the seized tobacco products were later confirmed as counterfeit by the trademark holders.

They also seized a total of 2,593 non-compliant E-Cigarettes that had a nicotine liquid tank capacity greater than the 2ml limit prescribed by the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016. Intelligence was received that the shop had been restocked with illegal e-cigarettes, and a further visit was made 13 September 2023. On this occasion 1,139 non-compliant E-cigarettes were seized. The estimated retail value of all the property seized was circa £40,500.

David Strover, Head of Trading Standards (Business Services), said “We are committed to the fight against illicit tobacco and vapes. By taking tough action and working with partners, this operation has taken a significant amount of illicit tobacco and vapes off the streets. Far from being a victimless crime, the illegal trade in tobacco costs government millions each year in lost revenue, makes it easier for children to start smoking, takes advantage of cash-strapped families, and helps fund organised crime.”

Councillor Munir Ahmed, Member of the West Yorkshire Joint Services Committee which oversees the work of Trading Standards said “The illegal sale of tobacco in communities enables and encourages young children to buy it cheaply.  It is really positive that so many partners are working to tackle traders that break the law.  I would like to thank members of the public for reporting illegal sales and encourage everyone to continue doing so to reduce the harm caused by tobacco in our communities.”.

If you need to report a trader selling cheap and illicit tobacco, please contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline: 0808 223 1133 anonymously.  Anyone wanting help to quit can find their local Stop Smoking Service at https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/