Retailer jailed for illegal tobacco has his display shelving removed by cigarette manufacturer

By Éilis Cronin in Industry News 3rd September 2021

A retailer with a convenience store on Manchester’s ‘curry mile’ has had his cigarette gantry display removed by Imperial Tobacco after he was jailed for 18 weeks for selling illegal tobacco.

Mumtaz Jilani, 52, of Blenheim Road, Cheadle, was sentenced last month after a illicit cigarettes and tobacco were found in his store, Jilani’s News & Convenience, at 171-173 Wilmslow Road, Rusholme, Manchester.

He was already serving a suspended sentence for selling illegal tobacco when he was caught again.

The latest investigation came about after a complaint from a member of the public.

In addition to his jail sentence Jilani was also ordered to pay costs of £1,120 plus a £128 victim surcharge.

James Hall, anti-illicit trade manager at Imperial Tobacco UK, said: “We are fully supportive of law enforcement agencies in their endeavour to demonstrate that illicit tobacco trade will not be tolerated.

“It harms honest retailers and damages communities. We applaud the member of public who notified the authorities and the local trading standards teams for securing this conviction.”

Hall added that Imperial’s dedicated anti-illicit trade app, SARA, has received 2900 reports of illegal trade since it was launched in January 2018.