Wolverhampton store ordered to pay more than £16,000 for stocking illicit cigarettes, vapes and tobacco
A shop which stocked thousands of illicit tobacco products has been ordered to pay £16,000 following a prosecution by Wolverhampton Council.
Easy Mini Market Ltd, trading as Easy Shop on Wednesfield Road in Heath Town, was prosecuted after a large haul of illegal products was discovered during a planned inspection last year.
Officers seized 7,910 single cigarettes, 79 pouches of hand-rolling tobacco and 206 disposable e-cigarettes, which were found concealed under the counter, in a rear storeroom and hidden within the cigarette gantry.
At a hearing at Dudley Magistrates’ Court on January 28, the company’s owner and director, Sharifullah Azimi, appeared on behalf of both himself and the business. Both pleaded guilty to multiple offences.
The company was fined £6,670, ordered to pay a £2,000 victim surcharge and £1,545.83 in costs. Azimi was personally fined £3,300, with a £1,332 victim surcharge and £1,545.83 in costs. In total, the penalties amounted to £16,393.66.
The prosecution followed a history of offences at the store. In July 2019, trading standards officers carried out an underage test purchase, during which a packet of counterfeit cigarettes was sold to a 15-year-old volunteer. A subsequent inspection uncovered 4,900 illicit cigarettes and 750g of illegal hand-rolling tobacco, resulting in a written warning being issued to the owner.
In 2024, a second underage test purchase was refused, but officers later confirmed that a pack of illicit cigarettes had been sold to a covert council officer. This led to the pre-planned operation that uncovered the latest stash.
In court, Azimi pleaded guilty to six offences, including breaches of the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations, Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations and Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products Regulations 2015.
The company admitted 11 offences, including breaches of the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations, the Trademarks Act, Companies Act 2006, Proceeds of Crime Act, and other consumer protection legislation.
Councillor Bhupinder Gakhal, Wolverhampton Council’s cabinet member for resident services, said: “This was a serious case involving a city retailer who concealed thousands of illicit products.
“This successful prosecution marks another important step in our continued work to safeguard residents and tackle the illegal tobacco trade within the city.
“Illicit vapes and tobacco present significant health risks. As unregulated products, they can contain dangerously high levels of harmful chemicals and contribute to underage use, increasing the risk of addiction.
“These unlawful sales also undermine honest local businesses, creating unfair competition for traders who operate responsibly. This outcome reflects the dedication and hard work of our trading standards team.”
Magistrates also issued a forfeiture and destruction order for all seized items. The cigarettes and tobacco will be handed over to a recycling scheme and disposed of in an environmentally responsible way.
Anyone who believes they may have been sold illegal tobacco or vaping products, or who suspects such goods are being sold, is urged to contact trading standards by emailing trading.standards@wolverhampton.gov.uk or by visiting www.citizensadvice.org.uk.
