Many Kirimi (Image: South Wales Police)
Last Updated: 3 minutes ago
A 23-year-old has been sent to prison for two years after admitting to selling fake tobacco products and illegal vapes from a shop in Pontarddulais.
Sentencing
Many Kirimi, of Commercial Street, Newport, was sentenced at Swansea Crown Court after pleading guilty to 11 offences including fraud, trademark breaches, and violations of tobacco and related products regulations.
Judge Geraint Walters told Kirimi: “The sale of counterfeit cigarettes and illegal vapes is becoming a scourge within our communities. These are not trivial matters. They are a result of criminal gangs opening shops with the specific aim of selling illegal products. It is well recognised that there is a risk to human health as a result of these products.”
Before Kirimi was taken to the cells, the judge added: “You are mocking the generosity of this country and of the court.”
The investigation
The World Vape Shop in Pontarddulais had been subject to a three-month closure order last October following visits by trading standards officers, prosecutor Alex Granville told the court.
When the premises reopened, officers returned and carried out test purchases during which they were able to buy counterfeit tobacco and cigarettes over the counter. A subsequent search uncovered a haul of illegal vapes and fake tobacco with a street value exceeding £40,000, stashed both behind the shop counter and in a flat above the premises. Officers also seized £1,571.30 in cash.
What the defendant said
During interview, the Iranian national claimed he had been working at the store “covering for a friend” and that the shop’s owner was “out of the country”.
Previous offending
The court heard Kirimi had a previous conviction for similar offences. He had been handed a community order at Newport Crown Court on that occasion but breached it and “went on the run”.
Defence
Barrister Christopher Evans told the court his client had arrived in the UK illegally in 2021 but had since been given leave to remain in the country for five years. “The defendant wants to stay in the UK but that’s a matter for the Home Office,” he added.
Evans said Kirimi had spent the last three months in custody and had been working as a barber in the prison. Kirimi followed proceedings with the assistance of an interpreter.
The £1,571.30 seized from the defendant will be handed over to Swansea Council as part of their prosecution costs.
