A Salford shopkeeper and his assistant who hid counterfeit tobacco in a wheelie bin were caught out by a sniffer dog.
Trading standards officers raided Zaynes News on Great Cheetham Street East in Higher Broughton checking for illegal cigarettes and tobacco.
They were assured by shop assistant Sarfraz Butt there was nothing illegal on the premises.
But the trained sniffer dog’s keen nose found their stash which was hidden in boxes, filing cabinet and even buried under rubbish in a wheelie bin in the back yard.
And the shop’s own CCTV showed the assistant making 28 illegal sales in just one morning.
Trading standards officers seized £1,365-worth of counterfeit goods, 81 50g packets of hand rolling tobacco and 600 illicit cigarettes.
The owner of Zaynes News, 23-year-old Saqib Mahmood was found guilty in his absence at court of possessing counterfeit tobacco for sale.
Mahmood, of Craven Street in Blackburn, was handed a bill for just over £2000 in costs when he appeared at Salford and Manchester magistrates court on Wednesday 22 July. He was given a 12 month conditional discharge with supervision and ordered to carry out 150 hours unpaid work.
Sarfraz Butt, 30, Mildred Street, Salford, shop assistant at Zaynes News, pleaded guilty to the same offence on 5 June and was fined £250 and ordered to pay £648 costs and £20 victim surcharge.
30 packs of cigarettes and eight pouches of hand rolling tobacco were found in a nappy box with black bin bags piled on top and a two-drawer filing cabinet under the till.
Two carrier bags of 73 pouches of counterfeit hand rolling tobacco were found hidden under general rubbish in a wheelie bin outside.
He was seen removing illicit tobacco products from inside a concealed compartment at the top of a drinks chiller and putting them behind the till ready to sell to members of the public.
The cash from the sales of illicit tobacco did not go into the till. Mr Butt admitted selling illicit tobacco and that he knew he was committing an offence.
Speaking after the case Councillor Gena Merrett, assistant mayor for housing and environment, said: “Tobacco carries health warnings for very good reasons. Mr Butt and Mr Mahmood knew they were not complying with UK law but chose to put profit above people’s wellbeing.”
Zaynes News had its alcohol licence revoked on 2 June 2015. The new owners are appealing the decision.
