Published Saturday 12 March 2022 at 7:58
Two Blackburn men have been sentenced after more than £170,000 of counterfeit cigarettes were uncovered in raids in the town.
In March 2018, Trading Standards Officers from Blackburn with Darwen Council carried out a routine visit to a storage facility accompanied by a tobacco detection dog.
They searched the unit in George Street and uncovered more than 8,000 packs of counterfeit cigarettes – with a retail value of £81,500.
Then, in November 2018, assisted by the Police, the officers carried out a raid at Smak Polski, a shop on Bank Top in Blackburn – again accompanied by a tobacco detection dog.
Evidence of the sale of illicit tobacco was found and a search of the rear of the premises revealed a warren of rooms and corridors. A number of shuttered doors required locksmiths to gain access using Trading Standards powers of entry.
There, illicit tobacco to a retail value of £96,000 was seized.
The person who rented the unit raided in March 2018, Sarhad Rashid, was linked to the supplies taking place in Smak Polski and so the two investigations were merged.
A decision was subsequently taken to prosecute both Rashid and the owner of Smak Polski, Alan Ahmad.
At court, Rashid, 39, of Falcon Close, pleaded guilty to one count of possession for supply of counterfeit cigarettes. He was sentenced to 12 weeks imprisonment suspended for 12 months.
In addition, he was ordered to undertake 80 hours unpaid work and 15 activity days as part of a rehabilitation order. He must also pay a contribution towards costs of £750.
Ahmad, 43, of Manitoba Close, pleaded guilty to nine offences relating to the supply of illicit tobacco, including fraudulent trading. He was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment on each of seven counts to run concurrently.
He was also sentenced to four months imprisonment for two other related offences, again to run concurrently.
In considering whether Ahmad’s sentence should be suspended, the judge took into account a two year delay in the court case due to the pandemic and that there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.
The impact on Ahmad’s employees was also considered if he were to receive a custodial sentence. Therefore the sentence was suspended for a period of 18 months.
Ahmad was also required to undertake 150 hours Unpaid Work and Rehabilitation Activity.
A Proceeds of Crime application was made and confiscation proceedings will take place in June; costs for Ahmad will be decided at this point too.
Councillor Jim Smith, Blackburn with Darwen Council’s Executive Member for Environment, welcomed the prosecution, saying:
This sentencing is the outcome of a great piece of partnership working involving our Trading Standards team, Legal Services, Lancashire Police and Blackpool Trading Standards.
A huge amount of work goes into investigations like these and it shows how committed we are to tackling the illicit sale of tobacco here in Blackburn with Darwen.
Laws are in place to protect our residents and those businesses which are trading within the law.
All tobacco is harmful, but we know that the sale of illegal tobacco makes it easier for children to start smoking.
Residents can make a real difference to help keep more illegal tobacco off the streets by reporting it. We need to keep the pressure up on those who continue to sell it.
You can report the sale of illegal tobacco by emailing:
publicprotection@blackburn.gov.uk