Hayes market trader guilty of possessing counterfeit tobacco and laundering £50k hidden in toilet, bin and under mattress

A 42-year-old man from Hayes has been found guilty of money laundering and possessing counterfeit tobacco.

An investigation by Hillingdon Council's Trading Standards team found Harmohan Singh Nangpal was in possession of a huge amount of fake and non-duty paid tobacco and cigarettes.

Cash worth more than £50,000 was also found in Nangpal's toilet, rubbish bin, under his mattress and other parts of his home in Langdale Drive.

More than 1,000 packets of cigarettes were seized from his garage along with more than 1,000 pouches of tobacco with fake Marlboro, Benson and Hedges and Golden Virginia logos.

'It is deplorable'

Hillingdon Council's cabinet member for finance, property and business services, Councillor Jonathan Bianco, said: “It is deplorable that Nangpa was selling untested, unregulated and illegal tobacco products to unwitting customers.

“I am proud to report that Hillingdon Council's Trading Standards officers conducted a thorough and in-depth investigation into his unlawful activities and helped bring him to justice.”

Nangpal had previously pleaded guilty to possession of the tobacco but not guilty to money laundering.

He was convicted by a jury at Isleworth Crown Court on September 29.

Used the proceeds to buy his house

The prosecution said the £50,000 was obtained through the sale of the illegal tobacco and that Nangpal had used the money to buy his house.

Hillingdon Council is now using the Proceeds of Crime Act to recover the money he made by trading counterfeit goods.

He will be sentenced in 2017.

Keep up to date with the latest news in west London via the free getwestlondon app.

You can even set it to receive push notifications for all the breaking news in your area.

Available to download from the App Store or Google Play for Android now!