Illegal Cigarettes Found by Sniffer Dog

A shopkeeper has appeared in court after a sniffer dog discovered illegal cigarettes hidden among a shelf of spices.

The discovery was made days before the end of a suspended sentence imposed on Zana Mahmood for a similar offence, a court has heard.

He was made to carry out 100 hours unpaid community work, and must pay £500 towards the City Council investigation, a £100 fine and a surcharge of £85.

Nottingham Magistrate's Court heard that officers from Operation Droplight checked the Monopolowy shop on Radford Road on August 29 last year.

A specialist "tobacco dog" found some items in a carrier bag in a rear store room. It then indicated a display shelf on the shop floor, where officers discovered illegal cigarettes hidden behind packets of spices.

Mahmood admitted having 17 packets of cigarettes which breached the Richmond trade mark, and of having 102 packets which did not feature health warnings.

Amanda Parker, mitigating, said:

"There is no suggestion he was involved in a wider operation or doing anything other than running his own small shop.

"I don't think trading standards needed a sniffer dog, the packets were with some sauces on a back shelf. There is no deep concealment here."

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