Court order shuts The Famous Shop in Nelson for this reason
A convenience store in Nelson has been forced to close following the persistent supply of cheap, illegal tobacco.
Officers from Operation Prosper, working alongside Trading Standards and partner agencies, have successfully obtained a closure order at the Magistrates Court for The Famous Shop, 45 Railway Street, Nelson.
The closure order was granted after an investigation showed the continued supply of illegal tobacco products, despite previous enforcement action and a prior Closure Order at their former premises at The American Sweet Shop.
The owner had attempted to continue operating by relocating right next door, changing the business name to The Famous Shop and altering tenancy details.
However, a joint investigation established the same individuals remained in control and the unlawful trade continued.
A spokesperson for the police said: “The tobacco we refer to isn’t a genuine product that is brought in from abroad without paying duty.
“It’s counterfeit tobacco, made in unregulated conditions by criminals that simply don’t care, with absolutely no controls or safeguards over what’s contained in them.”
A considerable amount of illegal cigarettes and hand rolling tobacco was seized from a purpose-built concealment inside the newly refurbished shop.
A larger amount of illegal tobacco products was seized from a ‘stash car’ linked to the business, which was in a town centre car park, a short distance from the shop.
This was being used to replenish the illegal tobacco stock in the concealment inside the shop.
Police seized the car and it will never be returned.
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The spokesperson added: “This type of criminality harms our communities, undermines legitimate local businesses and exposes people of all ages to dangerous, unregulated products.
“This is only one element of our enforcement and disruption relating to the sale of illegal tobacco.
“Arrests have been made and charges are in the pipeline. Criminal property has also been seized by police and bank accounts have been frozen.
“We can’t do this alone.”
A Judge, sitting at a Magistrates Court, has now ordered the premises to close for three months to prevent further criminality and protect the public.
If you have information about illegal sales of tobacco in your area, please provide it to Police or Trading Standards via Crimestoppers.