CRIME
ILLICIT TOBACCO IMPERIAL TOBACCO
Manchester store loses tobacco gantry after conviction
A
The store will no longer receive any sales support from Imperial Tobacco UK.
Manchester-based retailer has had his tobacco gantry removed by Imperial after violations of the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016. Jilani’s News, located on Wilmslow Road, was visited by Manchester City Council’s trading standards after a tip off from a member of public. During the visit a quantity of illicit tobacco products were seized, including 495 cigarettes and 168g of rolling and chewing tobacco, all of which did not have the required labelling and health warnings. Despite numerous attempts by officers to contact the store owner, 52-year-old Mumtaz Jilani, to invite him to attend a formal interview following the seizure, he failed to attend, and officers moved to prosecute. As a result, Jilani was given an 18-week custodial sentence at Manchester Crown Court as this followed a previous 24-week sentence suspended for two years, and the new offences were carried out during their period of suspension. In addition, Jilani was ordered to pay costs of £1,120, plus an £128 victim surcharge. In addition, the store will no longer receive any sales support from Imperial Tobacco.
Now you see it, now you don’t. Store has gaping hole where gantry used to be.
James Hall, Anti-Illicit Trade Manager at Imperial Tobacco UK, said: “We are fully supportive of law enforcement agencies in their endeavour to demonstrate that illicit tobacco trade will not be tolerated. It harms honest retailers
and damages communities. We applaud the member of public who notified the authorities and the local trading standards teams for securing this conviction.” Imperial continues to assist in the reporting and investigation of these reprehensible activities wherever possible. Its dedicated anti-illicit trade app SARA, which launched in January 2018, has now received more than 2,900 reports of potential illegal trade activity which it has shared with law enforcement. Seizures have been made in premises reported in 259 of these and 130 social media posts have also been removed.
WEDNESDAY 8TH SEPTEMBER 2021 / ISSUE 72 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 17
