A MAN was given a suspended prison sentence after being found guilty of possessing more than £30,000 of counterfeit and illegal cigarettes and tobacco.

In November 2015, police officers saw 57-year-old Thomas Griffiths standing by a white van with another man who was holding a large box.

The officer approached the van but Griffiths, from Durham Street, in Middlestone Moor, drove off and a short time later was seen entering a nearby shop.

Durham County Council’s trading standards team found the van contained 150,520 cigarettes and 21 kilos of tobacco with an estimated street value of £33,464.

More than 90,000 of the cigarettes– labelled as Mayfair, Excellence and Regal– were counterfeit and the van contained 60,000 MG cigarettes and 21 kilos of Turners Hand Rolling Tobacco which are not sold legally in the UK.

Griffiths initially said he had loaned the vehicle to another man the previous night and knew nothing about the items but later pleaded guilty to possessing criminal property and committing trademark offences.

He was handed an 18-month sentence suspended for two years at Newcastle Crown Court on Monday.

He was also given 200 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £100. The judge also imposed a three-month curfew between 9pm and 6am.

Joanne Waller, head of environment, health and consumer protection, said: “Illegal tobacco has a serious impact on health, brings crime into our communities and makes it easier for young people to smoke. Cigarettes and tobacco being sold at reduced prices also seriously undermine the work of the stop smoking service.

“We are committed to cracking down on illegal tobacco and will continue to investigate anyone breaking the law.”

  • To report the sale of illegal tobacco call the confidential reporting line on 0300-9990000 or visit keep-it-out.co.uk