Former shop keeper had 77,000 illegal cigarettes

A former shopkeeper has been jailed for 22 months after being convicted of possessing more than 77,000 illegal cigarettes and 16kg (2st 5lb) of hand rolling tobacco.

Jutyar Jelal Salah was "caught red-handed" by Trading Standards retrieving contraband cigarettes from a container, which he planned to sell via a home delivery service.

The 36-year-old owned Easy Shop on Station Street in Spalding, which, according to Lincolnshire County Council, was served with two closure orders in September 2023 and April 2024 after raids uncovered illegal cigarettes.

Salah was sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court on Friday.

Andy Wright, principal Trading Standards officer at Lincolnshire County Council, said following the closure of his premises Salah "persisted by selling cigarettes from his car" in Spalding town centre.

He was later caught by police and Trading Standards officers retrieving illegal cigarettes from a storage container in the town centre, Mr Wright added.

Insp Matthew Dickinson, from Lincolnshire Police, said: "Mr Salah was given opportunities to work towards rehabilitation, but instead chose to commit further offences.

"This is an excellent result and demonstrates how serious the courts take this sort of offending, rightly recognising the impact on the wider community."

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