A Chippenham shopkeeper has been sentenced following a series of raids and undercover operations by Wiltshire Council's Trading Standards team, which uncovered the sale of illegal tobacco and vapes.
Baban Ghafoor,30, of Henbury, Bristol, appeared at Swindon Magistrates' Court on Monday 6th October 2025, where he was sentenced after pleading guilty to 20 offences relating to the sale and possession for sale of illegal tobacco and vapes at two Chippenham businesses he owned. He was ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and must pay £2,000 in costs with a £114 victim surcharge.
Mr Ghafoor opened Chippenham Mini Market in October 2024, located next door to a barbershop he also operated. Within weeks of opening, Trading Standards officers made a test purchase of two counterfeit packs of Lambert & Butler cigarettes for £5 each.
In November 2024, officers returned to the premises and provided Mr Ghafoor with both oral and written guidance on the legal requirements for selling tobacco and vaping products. Despite this, when officers visited again two days later, accompanied by Wiltshire Police and a tobacco detection dog, illegal tobacco and vapes were found hidden in both the shop and the barbershop. Mr Ghafoor admitted ownership of both businesses and confirmed that the products found in the barbershop were intended for sale in the Mini Market.
Later that same day, an undercover officer successfully purchased another packet of counterfeit cigarettes from Chippenham Mini Market.
Further visits in November 2024 and February 2025 revealed additional illegal products and confirmed ongoing sales of counterfeit tobacco, despite the previous warnings and enforcement action.
Cllr Paul Sample, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: This local case highlights the serious risks posed by counterfeit tobacco. They are a matter of concern in terms of both public health and community safety. These products often contain unregulated and harmful substances. They often lack fire safety features and increase the risk of house fires in Wiltshire.
Traders sell this illegal tobacco at huge discounts. They therefore undermine efforts to reduce the number of smokers in Wiltshire. In turn this enables people to continue smoking - which is a major cause of deadly lung and heart disease.
I am pleased to say that Wiltshire's Trading Standards team are doing all they can to prosecute these offenders. Often they are brazen and persistent offenders. We are doing all we can to stop these sales taking place. I hope that this case sends a clear message - Wiltshire will not tolerate the sale of illegal tobacco.
In April 2025, Swindon Magistrates' Court also granted a three-month closure order for Chippenham Mini Market under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act, in relation to the ongoing sale of illegal tobacco and vapes.
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