Officers from Moray Council’s Trading Standards team, with assistance from Police Scotland, seized £2,000 worth of illegal tobacco from a 47 year old male.
The team responded to intelligence received in relation to the male’s activities and caught him selling illegal pouches of tobacco outside an Elgin supermarket.
The rogue trader has been issued with fixed penalty fines by Trading Standards to the tune of £1,200.
Moray’s Trading Standards team works closely with partners in the community, Police Scotland and HMRC to identify and deal appropriately with those who break the law and benefit from illegal trade.
Moray Council’s Chair of Economic Development and Infrastructure Services Committee, which covers Trading Standards, Cllr Marc Macrae, said:
“The illegal sale of tobacco related products and nicotine vaping products makes unregulated and potentially unsafe products available to the public.
“We share this story to make an example of people who ignore the law and attempt to profit from illegal sales.
“Targeting those individuals and businesses will remain a focussed priority for Moray’s Trading Standards enforcement activity.”