Trading Standards prosecution in Bognor Regis leads to £105,000 penalty

A Bognor Regis shop owner has been ordered to pay £105,000 after being sentenced for repeatedly selling counterfeit cigarettes and illegal vapes.

At Portsmouth Crown Court on 16 January 2026, Barzan Aubid, the director of Baltic Bognor Ltd on Richmond Road, was handed a ten-month prison sentence suspended for two years. He was also ordered to complete 65 hours of unpaid work and pay £5,000 in costs after pleading guilty to offences relating to trademark breaches, tobacco labelling and money laundering.

The company itself was fined £14,000 and ordered to pay a £2,000 victim surcharge.

During the hearing, the court ruled that Aubid had a criminal lifestyle and had personally benefitted from his offending by £70,421.84. Baltic Bognor Ltd was found to have benefitted by a further £14,093.69. Confiscation Orders have now been made for both sums under the Proceeds of Crime Act, with Aubid given three months to pay.

West Sussex Trading Standards officers have carried out repeated inspections at the shop since 2017. These uncovered counterfeit cigarettes, illegal vapes exceeding legal nicotine limits and other non-compliant products. On one occasion, officers discovered cigarettes hidden inside orange juice cartons in the stock room.

Because of the repeated breaches and ongoing investigations, Aubid’s alcohol licence was revoked in 2022. An appeal against that decision was later dismissed by Worthing Magistrates’ Court in January 2024.

The latest prosecution was brought by West Sussex Trading Standards, with support from West Sussex County Council Public Health and Arun District Council, as part of wider efforts to crack down on the sale of illegal tobacco and vapes in the area.

Cllr Duncan Crow, West Sussex County Council Cabinet Member for Community Support, Fire and Rescue, said: “Illegal tobacco is a serious concern to public health, and taking steps to eradicate it from the county forms an important element of Our Council Plan and our priority to keep people safe.

“Counterfeit cigarettes can contain a wide range of hazardous substances and we would discourage anybody from buying any seemingly bargain-priced cheap tobacco.”

This case also demonstrates that our Trading Standards Team of Accredited Financial Investigators will ensure action is taken to recover any benefit from this type of criminal conduct.”

Residents are encouraged to report any suspicious activity related to the sale of illegal tobacco and vapes directly to Trading Standards via: www.westsussex.gov.uk/TSreport

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