A FORMER trader who was searched by Trading Standards officers as he worked in a butchers has been convicted of selling counterfeit and unsafe cigarettes.

Ari Mohamadi was visited by the officers and colleagues from HM Revenue and Customs in June last year, who discovered a box of more than 2,800 cigarettes and 550g of hand rolling tobacco.

Preliminary tests revealed that the cigarettes were not fire safe and were more likely continue to burn if left unattended.

It was also found that the illicit items did not have the correct labelling and some of it was counterfeit.

Mohamadi, 29, was working in Akmao butchers on Parliament Road in Middlesbrough when the cigarettes and tobacco were found.

He appeared before Teesside Magistrates last week, where he was found guilty of five trademark offences and eight tobacco labelling offences.

The 29-year-old former trader has since moved to Wales and magistrates agreed that sentencing would take place immediately to avoid Mohamadi from having to return to Teesside at a later date.

Mohamadi, of Vivian Road, Newport, Wales, was given a 12-month community order with 180 hours unpaid work. The court also ordered the destruction of the seized goods.

Councillor Julia Rostron, Middlesbrough Council’s executive member for adult social care and public health, said: “Our Trading Standards officers will remove illicit and unsafe tobacco products from our streets whenever they come across it.

“The trade in illicit tobacco undermines all the national measures to reduce smoking and the cheap price and ready availability makes it easier for people, especially children, to start smoking, to smoke more and find it harder to quit.”

Mohamadi was also ordered to pay £1,215 in court costs and an £85 victim surcharge.

Judith Hedgley, head of Middlesbrough Council’s public protection service, added: “We deal with illicit tobacco because it’s both a public health and product safety matter.

“We are working with partners to stamp out this problem in Middlesbrough.”

  • Anyone with concerns over illicit activity can contact Crimestoppers on 0800-555111.