Shop boss caught with 6,000 illegal cigarettes after trying to ‘hide stash under counter’

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A former supermarket who was caught punting more than 6,000 illegal cigarettes has been brought to justice after a ‘cat and mouse game’ ended with him landing in court.

Ramen Amini was caught by trading standards officers who had came to search the supermarket for illegal goods. The investigators from the government agency saw Amini stashing the cigarettes and 1kg of hand-rolling tobacco under his shop counter as they came into the APO Pleck Supermarket Ltd.

Amini - who was director of the store - admitted 12 counts under the Trade Marks Act when he appeared at court.The judge had issued two warrants for his arrest after he failed to turn up at court but he was finally sentenced this month.

He was fined £120, ordered to pay a £34 victim surcharge and £500 costs.The stash of tobacco was discovered in August 2018 when officers visited the Walsall shop to undertake a routine advisory visit.