Luton man fined for selling illegal cigarettes on Facebook Marketplace

Faizan Nabi, 32, and of Chatteris Close, Luton, appeared at Luton Magistrates in December after an investigation by Luton Trading Standards.

The court heard how a test buyer had bought counterfeit cigarettes from him in 2023. A search of his home found 530 packets of cigarettes and 119 packets of hand rolling tobacco – with a market value of approximately £12,000.

For the four trademark offences, he was sentenced to a community order for 12 months and has to do 150 hours unpaid work. For a product safety offence, he was fined £1,549.

Councillor Maria Lovell MBE, portfolio holder for Trading Standards, said: “Not only does the sale of illicit tobacco evade tax and is unfair to honest traders, but illicit tobacco is more dangerous than regulated tobacco. Ingredients are unregulated and cigarettes do not extinguish in the same way as regulated products, increasing the risk of house fires. The cheaper price also may encourage people to start or continue to smoke. The sale of illicit tobacco also is often linked to other wider organised criminal activity.“

Lord Michael Bichard, Chair of National Trading Standards, said: “The trade in illegal tobacco harms local communities and affects honest businesses operating within the law. Having removed 46 million illegal cigarettes, 12,600kg of hand rolling tobacco and almost 175kg of shisha products from sale, Operation CeCe, the National Trading Standards initiative in partnership with HMRC, continues to successfully disrupt this illicit trade.”