Illegal Cigarette and Booze Bust in Enfield Lock!
Shop Owner Caught with Thousands of Fake Ciggies
Ali Riza Tula, 26, from Maxi Wine Centre on Hertford Road, Enfield Lock, was nabbed selling cigarettes without proper health warnings and labels not in English. On October 28, 2019, Enfield Trading Standards swooped on the shop, using sniffer dogs to uncover a stash of 4,420 counterfeit cigarettes.
Dodging Taxes and Breaking Licensing Laws
Tula allegedly dodged paying excise duty and VAT on fags worth around £1,629. That’s not all — he was also caught flogging super-strength booze, a big no-no under his shop’s licence.
Guilty Plea and Council Clampdown
At Highbury Magistrates Court on July 5, 2022, Tula pleaded guilty to three charges. These included breaches of the Licensing Act and the Tobacco & Related Products Regulations 2016.
Cllr Susan Erbil, Enfield Council’s Licensing boss, said: “Our dedicated Licensing & Trading Standards team identified illegal tobacco that was swiftly removed from the market. I urge residents to report any suspicions of illegal tobacco and cigarette sales.”
“We will keep cracking down on tobacco crime to keep Enfield safer for everyone.”
