A BRADFORD shopkeeper who hid illegal tobacco inside a sports bag in the back storeroom has pleaded guilty to fraud.

Magdalena Anna Witemberg who runs Frykas in Sticker Lane was sentenced to a community order of 50 hours of unpaid work over the next 12 months and told to pay £500 to prosecution costs and a victim surcharge of £60 after admitting having in her possession with intent to supply more than 7,800 illegal cigarettes and 900g of illegal hand rolling tobacco worth about £1,600. Witemberg pleaded guilty to section 9 of the Fraud Act 2006.

The illegal tobacco was discovered by West Yorkshire Trading Standards officers on November 4 last year, Witemberg was arrested and interviewed under caution on the same day confirming the products belonged to her and that she was selling them at far lower than the recommended retail price. She also said she regretted her actions and would not commit this offence again however despite being under investigation and on bail, more tobacco was found when officers visited the shop again one month later.

All the seized tobacco products were foreign labelled and non UK duty paid so did not bear the statutory health warning, the shop also failed to have a sign stating ‘It is illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone under the age of 18’.

David Lodge, Head of West Yorkshire Trading Standards, said “All tobacco – both legal and illegal – kills half of all long term smokers. Children and young smokers are often targeted by people who sell illegal cigarettes, making it even easier for them to get hooked on smoking. The people making money out of this do not care who they sell to.”

Anyone with information on sales of illegal tobacco products should contact Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 03454 04 05 06.