Cornwall Man Sentenced for Selling £25,000 of Counterfeit Tobacco

A man from St Erth, Hayle, has been sentenced after being caught with a substantial quantity of counterfeit tobacco, valued at £25,000.

Benjamin Rory Griffiths, 38, of Lanuthnoe Estate, was sentenced at Truro Crown Court on February 21, 2025, after pleading guilty to charges related to the possession of counterfeit tobacco.

The case stems from an October 27, 2023, raid conducted by Devon and Cornwall Police at a property in Eastern Green, Penzance, where officers discovered 582 pouches (30kg) of hand-rolling tobacco. The seized goods were subsequently handed over to Cornwall Council’s Trading Standards Team for further investigation.

Brand holders for Golden Virginia and Cutters Choice later confirmed that the products were counterfeit. Had they been genuine, the estimated retail value would have been £25,000.

At a previous hearing in January, Griffiths admitted to two offences under the Trade Marks Act 1994 and an additional offence under the Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products Regulations 2015.

As a result, he received a three-month suspended sentence, which will remain in effect for two years. In addition, Griffiths was ordered to complete a 26-day rehabilitation programme with the Probation Service, undertake 10 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days, and pay a victim surcharge of £154.

During sentencing, His Honour Judge Simon Carr emphasized the dangers of counterfeit tobacco, stating: “This is often seen as a victimless crime; however, it is not, as there is no way of knowing what is in the products, and on occasions, counterfeit tobacco has been known to cause serious injury.” The confiscated items will be destroyed.

Cornwall Council officials have warned about the dangers posed by illegal tobacco. Councillor Martyn Alvey, portfolio holder for Public Protection, said: “The trade in illegal tobacco seriously harms our efforts to reduce harm from smoking in Cornwall. With counterfeit tobacco, there is even less control over the substances that go into it, increasing the risk to users.”

Councillor Andrew Virr, Portfolio Holder for Public Health, reinforced the risks associated with smoking and purchasing illicit tobacco. “People think they’re saving money buying illicit tobacco, but it’s much better for your wallet and your health to kick the habit completely,” he said.

“There are around 59,000 smokers in Cornwall, and we know most of them want to quit. Giving up is one of the best things you can do to improve your health, and it will save you a lot of money in the long run.”

Residents looking to quit smoking can access free support through Healthy Cornwall by calling 01872 324 200 or searching for “smokefree Cornwall” online.