Gateshead driver ordered to pay £1,500 after being caught with thousands of pounds of illegal tobacco

A Gateshead motorist has been order to pay £1,500 after he was caught with thousands of pounds' worth of illegal tobacco when pulled over by police.

Kiwan Namik Ali, 46, has been ordered to pay hundreds in costs and given an 18-month community order after pleading guilty to eight charges following a prosecution by Durham County Council. Ali, of Rawling Road, admitted two charges of unauthorised use of trade marks; three of supplying a tobacco product that contravenes the requirement for standardised packaging; and three of supplying a tobacco product that contravenes the requirements for combined health and general warnings.

Durham Crown Court heard Ali's Audi A3 was stopped by police acting on intelligence at Junction 60 of the A1(M), Bradbury Interchange, in January 2023. An officer asked if he had anything illegal in the vehicle and Ali confirmed there were a "couple of boxes" of illegal tobacco which he was taking to somebody in Newcastle.

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Ali actually had 16,400 Richmond-branded cigarettes, 13,200 Rothmans-branded and 6kg of Turner-branded hand rolling tobacco. Checks were carried out with British American Tobacco which shows the cigarettes using the Richmond and Rothmans trademarks were without authorisation and counterfeit.

None of the tobacco products complied with regulations on health warnings and standardised packaging. The court was told the products would have been worth an estimated £8,840 on the illicit market.

Similar products sold legally would have a value of £18,391. The court ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the illegal tobacco, and Ali was ordered to pay £1,500 towards costs and given an 18-month Community Order with 30 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days.

Gary Carr, Durham County Council's strategic regulation manager, said: "Illegal tobacco is damaging in many ways, including making it easier for children to smoke and bringing crime into our communities. Mr Ali may have been simply passing through County Durham, but the fact he had illegal tobacco in his car when he was stopped was enough for us to take action.

"We’re delighted that the court ordered the destruction of thousands of illegal cigarettes and hope this case serves as a warning that products like this will be not be tolerated anywhere in County Durham."