A Polish shop has been hit with a bill of more than £3,000 after sniffer dogs found a secret stash of illegal tobacco.
The raid took place at Sloneczko Polski Sklep, on Mersey Square, Stockport town centre, following a tip off from a member of the public.
A tobacco detection dog discovered concealed stashes of cigarettes hidden in a wall compartment and tobacco pouches hidden among food products.
Stockport Council prosecuted the business and at Stockport Magistrates guilty pleas were entered to six charges. They were three of possessing counterfeit tobacco for sale, two of having tobacco without health warnings and one of stating a product could be legally sold when it could not.
Mariwan Kadre Salih - a 38-year-old from Oxford Street, in Crewe, listed as the company director - had been due to face the same charges but these were withdrawn and the business itself was prosecuted.
It was fined a total of £2,500 with costs of £799 and a victim surcharge of £50. The cigarettes and tobacco found were imitations of popular brands.
The shop was one of a number raided in a joint operation between the council’s trading standards, the Department of Health, the North West Illicit Tobacco Team and other agencies. Illicit tobacco means the product is either counterfeit or does not have the correct health warnings.
Councillor Sheila Bailey, executive member for communities and housing, said: “Detection dogs can find tobacco and cigarettes in the most unlikely places, and, in addition to having their stock confiscated, offenders could face unlimited fines as well as up to 10 years in prison.”
The raid took place on December 10 last year but the case was heard before magistrates at the end of June.
The business, which has a three star hygiene rating from the council, was started in March last year.
Anyone with information about the sale of such products can call the Illegal Tobacco Hotline anonymously on 0300 999 0000.
