A man has been prosecuted after council officers seized 126 packets of illegal tobacco products, smuggled into the country from Lithuania and Russia.

Over 2,500 illegal cigarettes have been uncovered stashed behind a wall at a local shop in Woolwich, leading to the prosecution of a shop owner for the second time.

A tobacco detection dog and its handler helped Greenwich Council officers seize 126 packets of illegal tobacco products after the borough's Trading Standards team had received a tip-off from a suspicious resident.

The illegal stash was found concealed behind a wall in a storeroom at Maistas & Gerimai in Woolwich, and is believed to have been smuggled into the country from Lithuania and Russia.

Remarkably, Mandris Ltd and Mr. Mantas Andris, the shop’s proprietor, were previously convicted in April 2018 for similar offences, yet had continued to import, store and sell illegal tobacco from the premises.

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Facing Bexley Magistrates Court on Friday 19 August, Mr. Andris pleaded guilty to the charges and was fined a total £14,877.50, which he will pay back in 21 monthly instalments.

The council has also revoked the shop’s alcohol license and the seized cigarettes have been destroyed.

Greenwich councillor Jackie Smith, the cabinet member for enforcement and community safety, said: “We take matters like this very seriously and our enforcement officers will always follow up on complaints from the general public.

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"Information given by local people helps Trading Standards and other enforcement partners to take more illegal tobacco off the streets, so please share your concerns with our team if you think illegal or fake cigarettes are being sold in our borough.”

The supply of illicit, cheap, and counterfeit cigarettes has serious consequences for health and crime.

Illegal tobacco is unregulated, so there is no way of knowing what harmful ingredients they contain.

The availability of cheap cigarettes also encourages smoking prevalence amongst young people and goes against the council’s tobacco control agenda and the government’s Tobacco Plan, which is aiming to reduce smoking to under 12% of the population by 2022, and 5% by 2030.

Lord Toby Harris, chair of National Trading Standards, said: “The trade in illegal tobacco harms local communities and affects honest businesses operating within the law.

"The National Trading Standards initiative in partnership with HRMC is playing a significant role in disrupting this illicit trade and is helping to take illegal tobacco products off the streets.”

Contact Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 to report the sale of illegal goods – all calls will be treated in confidence.