Owner of Spring Bank store faces prison after discovery of illegal tobacco worth £40,000

The owner of a city shop found with nearly 200,000 illegal cigarettes is facing jail. He pleaded guilty to eight counts relating to possession and supply of illegally-manufactured and branded cigarettes.
The store had its drinks licence revoked earlier this year after three raids uncovered more than £40,000 of illegal cigarettes and tobacco. Humberside Police and Hull City Council’s trading standards team discovered 188,000 smuggled and foreign-labelled cigarettes and 750 pouches of counterfeit hand-rolled tobacco. City trading standards manager Chris Wilson said it was a crime that could have deep repercussions for victims.