Jailed: Fake cigarette sales raked in almost £1m for crime group operating from Dudley shop
Three men who took part in a counterfeit cigarette sales conspiracy have been put behind bars for more than 12 years combined.
In a prosecution brought by Dudley Council’s Trading Standards leader of the group of five Sywash Mashkhaty, aged 33, alongside Zanko Fars Ismael and Seyed Taklimi were sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court after pleading guilty to conspiracy to offences of possessing goods bearing a sign identical to a registered trademark and conspiracy to possess criminal property in July 2024. They were arrested following a swoop on European Food Express, in Dudley High Street.
The estimated value of the counterfeit cigarettes for the duration of the conspiracy is nearly £700,000.
The group were found be in possession of counterfeit and illicit cigarettes and tobacco products between August 2016 and December 2018.
The defendants were found to be selling and possessing counterfeit, and illicit tobacco products on multiple occasions, with boxes of cigarettes being sold for less than £3. Some of the illicit cigarettes seized in the case could not be classified as being counterfeit, as they represented bogus brands that are produced and smuggled into the UK by organised crime gangs.
During repeated inspections by trading standards the brazen gang carried on working with counterfeit and illicit tobacco products hidden in drawers and sacks.
During one visit officers seized a CCTV hard drive, which was found in a ceiling void. When the footage was examined, it showed how the gang had been involved in preparing and digging a concrete floor behind the counter, to create a secret compartment.
During a later search more than 7,000 illicit and counterfeit cigarettes, for which duty had not been paid, were seized. During another search, officers found a secret electromagnetic operated compartment behind a wall. Inside officers found 399 packets of cigarettes and hand rolling tobacco which they seized long with goods hidden behind ceiling tiles, including more than 13,000 cigarettes plus 39 packets of tobacco.
During an interview it was disclosed that European Food Express sold around £500 worth of illegal tobacco a day.
On June 27 Mashkhaty, who has links to Birmingham, was jailed for four years and nine months, ordered to pay £10,000 in costs. Zanko Fars Ismael was jailed for three years and seven months, and Seyed Taklimi was jailed for to two years and one month.
In January another defendant Najibullah Azakzai, aged 31, from Dudley, was jailed for to two year and 10 months for admitting the same offences. While Sarwat Raouf was jailed for one year and 11 months after admitting to conspiracy to possess criminal property suspended for 18 months. Raouf must carry out 150 hours unpaid work, pay £2,000 of costs. All five defendants must also pay the victims' surcharge.
In 2018 Mashkhaty and Azakzai were given community orders for similar offences.
Dudley's cabinet member for trading standards Councillor Phil Atkins said: “I welcome these sentences, which send out a clear warning to other traders and organised crime groups who are selling illegal goods."
“We will continue to do everything in our power to ensure the public is protected and legitimate businesses are safeguarded, taking legal proceedings wherever necessary.”
Dudley Council has a zero tolerance approach to illicit trading.
