Two individuals have been successfully prosecuted for the sale of illegal tobacco products, following an investigation by Warrington Trading Standards.
Roman Puzo, 46, and his 22-year-old daughter, Kvetoslava Puzo, both of Algernon Street, Warrington, pleaded guilty at Warrington Magistrates Court to offences of supplying and possessing cigarettes and hand rolling tobacco that failed to carry the correct health warnings. Some of these products were found to be counterfeit.
The sale and subsequent seizure was from the convenience shop, Kubus, Legh Street, Warrington where Ms Puzo was the manageress of at the time of the offences. The shop has now closed down.
In October 2018, Mr Puzo sold a packet of cigarettes, which didn’t carry the correct health warnings, to an officer from Warrington Borough Council. Trading Standards Officers, accompanied by officers from HM Revenue & Customs, then conducted a thorough search of the shop with the assistance of a tobacco detection dog.
The combined efforts of the officers and search dog identified 7,140 cigarettes and 3,400 grams of hand rolling tobacco concealed in three separate locations in the shop and stock rooms.
On examination, the cigarettes and hand rolling tobacco were all seized as they failed to comply with essential packet labelling requirements and some were found to be counterfeit.
Warrington Borough Council’s Public Protection Unit Manager, Dave Watson, said: “This successful partnership operation is part of our ongoing work to clamp down on traders who supply illegal and counterfeit tobacco products.
“The sale of illegal tobacco is linked to wider criminal activity. It also undermines efforts to help people to stop smoking and increases the risk of children taking up smoking by providing a cheap source of tobacco – so it’s very important we take these products off the streets.
“Detection dogs can find tobacco and cigarettes even if hidden in the most unlikely of places. Offenders need to know that if they choose to deal in these illegal products, they will face the consequences.”
Throughout the investigation, the defendants denied any knowledge of the tobacco products that were found concealed at the premises, blaming an unknown third party, the owner of the business. Both pleaded guilty to the offences at court.
In sentencing the pair, District Judge Knight urged Ms Puzo to provide details of the owner of the shop to Warrington Borough Council so further action could be taken. She commented that Ms Puzo had been foolish, had been involved in something dishonest, and on realising it, should have stopped and reported it. She also noted that in selling these illegal tobacco products, the intention was to undercut other shops which abide by the law.
Kvetoslava Puzo was ordered to carry out 240 hours of unpaid work and to pay £775 costs and an £85 victim surcharge.
Roman Puzo was fined £280 and ordered to pay £375 costs and a victim surcharge of £30.
