Suspended

Unlawful tobacco and cash laundering in Kidlington market, found by Oxfordshire County Council’s buying and selling requirements service, has resulted within the offender receiving 24 months imprisonment suspended for 2 years.

Michael Addison pleaded responsible to 12 costs at an earlier listening to, the place he admitted to possessing pretend and smuggled cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco in the midst of enterprise and cash laundering. Manufacturers included Richmond and Lambert and Butler cigarettes and Golden Virginia hand rolling tobacco.

At this time, Monday 18 September, he returned to Oxford Crown Court docket for sentencing. He’s additionally required to finish 300 hours of unpaid work and 30 rehabilitation exercise requirement days. 

In a foundation of plea, he accepted ‘changing prison property’ by funnelling a sum of greater than £155,000 by two Lloyds financial institution accounts in his identify. 

The courtroom heard that Addison was caught at Kidlington market in a joint operation led by Oxfordshire County Council’s buying and selling requirements crew, the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU) and Thames Valley Police, in January 2022.

However slightly than curtail his prison actions, the Cheltenham resident, aged 63, was caught once more in February 2023 after his car was stopped by police in Kidlington.

Jody Kerman, Oxfordshire County Council’s Head of Buying and selling Requirements, stated: “This was an instance of partnership working at its finest. Because of the assistance given by SEROCU and Thames Valley Police, we’ve been capable of catch an offender concentrating on Oxfordshire, who in any other case could by no means have stopped.”

Councillor Kate Gregory, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cupboard Member for Neighborhood Providers and Security, stated: “Whereas there is no such thing as a protected degree of smoking, there’s additionally no means of understanding what’s contained in unregulated and counterfeit cigarettes and tobacco merchandise, which might put your well being at elevated danger.

“That’s the reason our buying and selling requirements crew will proceed to pursue these accountable and produce them to justice.”

Confiscation proceedings underneath the Proceeds of Crime Act will proceed at a future listening to.

Anybody with details about the unlawful sale of any tobacco merchandise ought to contact 0300 999 6 999 or report it anonymously by the web site: stop-illegal-tobacco.co.uk.

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