Illegal cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco have been seized from three Worcester shops.

In the past year, more than 200,000 cigarettes and 57kg of loose tobacco have been seized by trading standards officers across Worcestershire.

Products removed from sale by Worcestershire County Council have an equivalent retail value of about £55,000.

The latest three cases were heard at Worcester Magistrates’ Court on June 17 following a full investigation by Trading Standards.

Alan Rasoul Osman, licence holder at European Mini Market in St John’s, admitted 13 trading standards offences and was sentenced to a 12-month community order with 60 hrs unpaid work.

READ MORE: Shopkeeper caught selling £10,000 worth of fake cigarettes in police sting

He was ordered to pay £2,785 prosecution costs and a victim surcharge of £95.

This shop has subsequently changed hands and is now under new ownership. 

Palawan Morabab, of Red and Black Supermarket in Foregate Street, pleaded guilty to nine trading standards offences.

Morabab was sentenced to a 12-month community order with 60 hrs unpaid work and told to pay £2,671 prosecution costs and a victim surcharge of £95. 

This shop too is now under new ownership.

Illegal tobacco trade 'driven by crime gangs'

Mohammed Ali Kamal, trading as Yasmin Supermarket in Lowesmoor, admitted 19 trading standards offences, with three more being taken into consideration.

He was sentenced to a 12-month community order with 220 hrs unpaid work and ordered to pay £2,704 prosecution costs and a victim surcharge of £95.

In all three cases, the offending tobacco products were to be forfeited and destroyed. 

Councillor Marcus Hart, Worcestershire’s cabinet member for communities, said: “Selling counterfeit tobacco deprives the country of taxes to fund vital public services like the NHS and undermines public health campaigns to help people quit smoking to protect their health.

“Illegal tobacco is often half the price of legitimate products, and this fact alone encourages people to continue to smoke.

“These products can also be very dangerous for consumers. They often won’t self-extinguish, which can make them a significant fire risk.

“The trade in illegal tobacco is driven by organised crime gangs, who may also be involved in people trafficking and worse.

"We want to send out a message to other unscrupulous traders that we will not tolerate the sale of illegal products in the county.”