Operation Hind, Leicestershire County Council Trading Standards’ initiative to crack down on the sale of illegal cigarettes and vapes, has secured two more successful prosecutions.
Arya Mohammad Pour (24) of 54A Page Hall Road, Sheffield, appeared before Leicester Magistrates' Court on Wednesday 19 August, where it was heard that he had sold 22 packets of counterfeit Richmond cigarettes to undercover Trading Standard officers on three occasions between 23 October and 4 November 2025 from Gold Town, a shop on Swan Street in Loughborough.
Pour was sentenced to a 10-week electronic community curfew monitoring order, requiring him to remain at home between the hours of 8pm and 6am. He was also ordered to pay £900 in prosecution costs and a victim surcharge of £114.
Also in Loughborough, Abdullah Hassan Mamand (50) of 8 Arthur Court, Derby, was prosecuted after Trading Standards officers carried out four covert test purchases at Loughborough International, 50 The Rushes, in January 2026.
On each occasion, officers were able to purchase illegal cigarettes, including counterfeit products being sold for £4 per pack. The products were counterfeit and failed to comply with UK tobacco packaging and labelling laws.
Prior to enforcement action, Trading Standards had provided written and face-to-face advice to the business and its director to ensure legal requirements were understood. That advice was ignored.
Appearing in Leicester Magistrates’ Court on Friday 21 August, Mr Mamand was given a 12 month community order, with 100 hours of unpaid work, and a victim surcharge of £114. He was also disqualified from being a company director for two years.
The company, The Rushes Store Limited, was fined £5,000 for selling illegal cigarettes, and ordered to pay £5000 costs.
Trading Standards secured the prosecutions and sentences following continued determination in both cases.
In the case of Mr Pour, Trading Standards officers pursued the case after he became uncontactable and, with support from police colleagues, tracked him down to a tobacco and vape shop in Sheffield where he was working.
Investigations by Trading Standards for Mr Mamand highlighted the use of a non-existent address, with the company failing to comply with the companies act. This work, along with the proactive advice given by Trading Standards, helped with the disqualification of being a company director.
“Counterfeit tobacco products are a serious concern because consumers have no way of knowing what substances they contain or the potential harm they may cause. The trade in illegal tobacco also undermines legitimate businesses and fuels criminal activity.
“These cases demonstrate our commitment to pursuing those responsible for selling counterfeit goods, even where individuals attempt to avoid investigation.
“Both prosecutions highlight the success of Operation Hind, our ongoing partnership initiative to tackle the sale of illegal tobacco, counterfeit cigarettes and illicit vaping products across Leicestershire. The continued success of the operation shows that we are prepared to go the extra mile to disrupt this trade, protect consumers and support legitimate businesses.
"We will continue to take robust enforcement action against those involved in the sale of counterfeit cigarettes, illicit tobacco and illegal vaping products, and we encourage anyone with information about this type of activity to report it."
Person:Gary Connors, head of regulatory services
Operation Hind is a county wide enforcement initiative led by Leicestershire County Council Trading Standards, working in partnership with Leicestershire Police.
It was launched to tackle the growing problem of counterfeit tobacco and non compliant vaping products being sold in local shops, many of which pose serious health risks, with previous tests identifying dangerous substances such as arsenic, lead and formaldehyde in illegal vapes.
The initiative focuses on prevention through advice and warnings, intelligence led inspections, test purchasing, joint enforcement visits and prosecution of both business owners and shop workers involved in the illegal trade.
It aims to disrupt the supply chain, protect consumers, and support legitimate retailers, and has already secured multiple successful prosecutions.