Serhang Ahmadi, 35, from Cardiff was sentenced after the other ten members of the gang, due to an additional charge of witness intimidation relating to the case which resulted in a three-day trial but was found not guilty of this charge due to hearsay evidence.

With this final sentence being handed down by the court, the Organised Crime Group were sentenced to a total of 29 years imprisonment with a further 9 years given in suspended sentences, for carrying out a ‘business for a fraudulent purpose’ to the value of £1.8 million between September 6, 2013, until February 5, 2022.

In the original fraud trial, Mr Ahmadi pleaded guilty to the offence on November 15^th 2023, seven days after the trial began. For that reason, during the sentencing last Friday, the judge gave a 5% reduction to his sentence and with the time he has already spent in custody, Mr Ahmadi will serve a further two and half years in prison.

During the investigation, officers from Cardiff, and Bridgend and Vale councils’ Shared Regulatory Services (SRS) seized £600,000 of illegal tobacco, based on market cost, along with £12,500 worth of Nitrous Oxide cannisters.

The operation against the gang began in February 2020, following intelligence that several shops in the South Wales area were selling illegal tobacco and Nitrous Oxide. Significant amounts of cigarettes and tobacco were seized initially, but the shops appeared to restock immediately, and continued to sell the illegal products to the local community, including children.

The criminal group operated their business from at least seven shops in South Wales, most were in Cardiff but shops in Barry and Bridgend were also used including:

• Best European Food Ltd, Clifton Street, Cardiff
• Laz Mini Market. Clifton Street, Cardiff
• Barry Stores, Tynewydd Road, Barry
• European Shop, Holton Road, Barry
• World and Food Ltd, Holton Road, Barry
• Apna Bazaar Bridgend Ltd, Dunraven Place, Bridgend
• European Mini Market, Tudor Street, Cardiff.

The gang used the shops as a front, appearing to sell genuine products and other legitimate produce, but in fact, an intricate subterfuge was being carried out with flats above the shops and other hidden spaces used to hide huge amounts of illegal tobacco which was being sold to customers.

The court heard that at a conservative estimate, each shop was making approximately £1000 a day from selling illegal tobacco and Nitrous Oxide, with the total value of illegal sales estimated at £3.8m.

Some of the illegal tobacco was stored in Safestore units or in the defendant’s homes, with the tobacco and cigarettes being moved in cars with blacked out windows to the shops and the flats above late at night or in the early hours of the morning.

The illegal tobacco was often stored in large, concealed spaces in the shops or the flats. Powerful, remote controlled, electric magnets were used to unlock these spaces which were invisible to the human eye and only found by using sniffer dogs and by breaking through walls.

Other techniques the gang used to deliver their products included electric winches and plastic tubes linking the shop with the flat above, with tobacco being passed down a tube when a customer made a purchase.

Helen Picton, Head of shared Regulatory Services said: “Searches and test purchases at all seven shops resulted in £600,000 of illegal tobacco taken off the streets of South Wales. This is a mere fraction of the criminality in this case, as it doesn’t consider any cigarettes or tobacco that were sold by the criminal gang.

“Although they thought they were operating with impunity, what they didn’t know is that they were being monitored and as the two trials showed, there was overwhelming evidence for the juries to find them guilty of these offences. It was clear from the investigation that they believed they were entitled to carry out their fraudulent business and showed little remorse.

“‘Illegal tobacco does great harm in the community. Its cheapness and ease of supply are particularly attractive to young people and others on lower incomes, and it eliminates the price incentive for existing smokers to quit the habit. I’m delighted to see the successful conclusion of this long and extended investigation. Offenders need to know that they will face consequences if they choose to deal in these illegal products.”

Sergeant Jake Rollnick from South Wales Police said: “Officers from Cardiff and Vale Neighbourhood Policeing Teams worked closely alongside the Shared Regulatory Services and other government agencies in bringing these offenders to justice over a period of 18 months. It consisted of multiple warrants and intervention and just goes to show what we can achieve in partnership”.