A BUSINESS has been fined for possessing a number of cigarettes in fake packaging in South Wales.

Earlier this week, Cardiff Magistrates' Court dished out a fine to EU Dominik Ltd, for a string of offences related to the possession and attempted sale of cigarettes.

Though a Bristol-based business, the offences were all carried out in Cardiff.

This included three counts of possession of goods with a false trade mark for sale or hire.

In total, they were found guilty of five charges, which were all proven in the absence of a representative from the business.

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They were found to have possessed three separate types of cigarette packaged in branding “identical to, or likely to be mistaken for, a registered trade mark”, with a view to selling these.

The court found EU Dominik guilty on three counts of this charge, relating to the following products:

  • Twelve packets each containing 20 cigarettes, which bore, or the packaging of which bore, a sign identical to, or likely to be mistaken for, a registered trade mark, namely ‘Richmond’.
  • A 50 gram packet of hand rolling tobacco, which bore, or the packaging of which bore, a sign identical to, or likely to be mistaken for, a registered trade mark, namely ‘Golden Virginia'.
  • Forty packets each containing 20 cigarettes, which bore, or the packaging of which bore, a sign identical to, or likely to be mistaken for, a registered trade mark, namely ‘Mayfair’.

The company was also found to have possession of 158 packets of cigarettes and 27 packets of hand rolling tobacco, the unit pack of which “did not carry a combined health warning as required by regulation 5 of the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016”.

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The court also found the firm guilty of possession for supply of a product which did not meet the safety standards concerning the self-extinguishing properties for cigarettes.

It was determined that the business should have known or presumed to know that the items were “a dangerous product”.

This charge related to 40 packets, each containing 20 cigarettes.

In total, EU Dominik Ltd was charged £1,350 in fines, costs, and a surcharge to victim services.