A former Acton shop owner has been ordered in court to pay more than £15,600 after illegal tobacco was discovered hidden inside a supermarket.
Aljanaby Food Limited, of Minerva Road, Park Royal, trading as Marrakech Supermarket, at 140 Churchfield Road, Acton, and director Mr Khalid Abdulmunim Faisal Al Janaby, of the same address in Acton, were prosecuted by Ealing Council following an investigation by the council’s trading standards team.
The case was heard at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court on 28 July, where Mr Al Janaby pleaded guilty to offences under the tobacco regulations on behalf of himself and the company.
Hundreds of packets seized
The investigation began on 29 October 2025 when staff at the shop sold 2 packets of tobacco to council officers during a test purchasing exercise. The packets did not comply with UK packaging rules and did not carry health warnings.
A further inspection took place on 4 November 2025, including a sniffer dog trained to detect tobacco. Officers found packets of illegal tobacco mixed in with legal packets behind the sales counter and hidden inside a purpose-built hide in the shop.
In total, officers seized 511 packets of illegal cigarettes and 69 packets of 50g rolling tobacco, with an estimated street value of £3,756.
Court outcome
During sentencing, magistrates noted that Mr Al Janaby had previously been prosecuted for similar offences in 2019 and had not learned his lesson. They also said they did not find Mr Al Janaby’s explanation for the offences credible and believed he had been profiteering from the illegal trade.
The court gave credit for the early guilty pleas and imposed fines of £2,000 on Aljanaby Food Limited for offences under the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 and a further £2,000 for offences under the Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products Regulations 2015.
Mr Al Janaby was also fined £2,000 for each set of offences, bringing the total fines to £8,000.
The court additionally ordered the payment of a £3,200 victim surcharge and £4,483.30 in prosecution costs. The total amount payable was £15,683.30.
The court also ruled that the illegal tobacco should be destroyed.
Protecting residents and communities
Councillor Kamaljit Nagpal, Ealing Council’s cabinet member for decent living incomes, said: “The sale of illegal tobacco is a serious offence, which robs the taxpayer of much-needed legitimate income for public services. These products undermine public health measures, harm legitimate businesses, and can help fund wider criminal activity.
“This prosecution shows that we will continue to take strong action against anyone involved in the illegal tobacco trade. Our trading standards officers work hard to protect residents and support law-abiding businesses, and we will not hesitate to bring offenders before the courts.”
Residents who have concerns about the sale of illicit tobacco or other counterfeit goods can report them through the council’s trading standards service.
For help giving up smoking, contact Ealing Smokefree Service today for free, friendly help.
