Significant Penalty Imposed on Acton Shop Owner for Illegal Tobacco Activities
An Acton-based shop owner, along with his company, has been mandated to pay a hefty sum exceeding £15,600 following the discovery of hundreds of packets of illegal tobacco hidden within a supermarket. The firm, Aljanaby Food Limited, which oversees the Marrakech Supermarket located at 140 Churchfield Road, faced legal action initiated by Ealing Council after an investigation conducted by the council's Trading Standards team.
The investigation began on October 29, 2025, when council officers purchased two packets of tobacco from the supermarket that did not comply with UK packaging regulations and lacked any health warnings. A subsequent visit, just six days later, involved the deployment of a sniffer dog, which led to the uncovering of a significant cache of illegal tobacco, both behind the counter and in a specially constructed concealment area. The authorities confiscated a total of 511 packets of cigarettes and 69 packets of rolling tobacco, valued at approximately £3,756.
During a court hearing at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court on July 28, 2026, Mr. Khalid Abdulmunim Faisal Al Janaby, the director of the company, entered a plea of guilty for himself and the business. The court imposed fines of £4,000 each, along with a victim surcharge of £3,200 and £4,483.30 in costs incurred by the council, culminating in a total financial obligation of £15,683.30. The court also ordered the destruction of the seized tobacco. Magistrates noted that Mr. Al Janaby had a prior conviction for similar offenses in 2019, which led them to believe he was profiting from these illegal sales.
Councillor Kamaljit Nagpal, who oversees decent living incomes for Ealing Council, remarked on the detrimental impact of such illegal products, stating that they not only undermine public health measures but also pose threats to legitimate businesses and can potentially finance broader criminal activities.
As reported by ealing.news.
