**Shop Owner Ordered to Sell BMW and Pay Back £87,000 after £1m Illegal Tobacco Business Uncovered**
A shopkeeper at the centre of a major counterfeit tobacco operation in Llanelli has been commanded by the court to repay nearly £87,000 and sell a BMW to meet his obligations, after being linked to sales of illicit tobacco exceeding £1 million.
Shoresh Mhmood, who formerly ran the Groszek store on Cowell Street in the centre of Llanelli, was previously convicted alongside Aran Baker for their roles in running what authorities have described as a “very busy and successful” shop, focused primarily on the sale of counterfeit cigarettes and tobacco. Both men were sentenced to lengthy prison terms last year for engaging in fraudulent business practices that authorities say undermined legitimate businesses and deprived the public purse of significant tax income.
The pair came to the attention of law enforcement after Carmarthenshire Council officers carried out a series of undercover test purchases between 2021 and 2022. These tests confirmed that illegal tobacco products, including counterfeit cigarettes, were available for sale from the premises. Investigators then executed search warrants at the homes of the shop’s directors, with telling results.
At Mhmood’s residence in Dillwyn Street, officers discovered 9,500 fake cigarettes (including brands like Mayfair), more than 170 pouches of illicit tobacco, and a safe containing over £32,000 in cash. Meanwhile, a search at Baker’s address in Penciliogi led to the recovery of a staggering 89,000 counterfeit cigarettes. The sheer amount of seized goods pointed to an operation supplying not just local smokers, but potentially a much wider area.
During the investigation, prosecutors revealed that the shop was largely a cash-only business and attracted a steady stream of customers, with handwritten records indicating takings of at least £615 even on the quietest trading days. Some days, receipts reportedly surged to more than £2,200, driven entirely by the sale of illicit tobacco products. Over an indictment period spanning 817 days, the prosecution calculated total illegal sales close to the £1 million mark.
Following their convictions—42 months in prison for Mhmood and 51 months for Baker—the case returned to Swansea Crown Court for a proceeds of crime hearing. Prosecutor Lee Reynolds said both men had benefited by around £125,000 through their criminal endeavours. However, investigators could trace available assets amounting to £630 in Baker’s accounts and £89,927 in Mhmood’s assets, which included physical cash, a substantial sum in a bank account, and a BMW car.
The judge subsequently ordered confiscation of the assets identified. Mhmood was given a three-month window to pay £86,927, with the explicit instruction to sell his BMW to fulfil this obligation. Failure to comply will see him serve an additional ten months behind bars. Baker was instructed to hand over the £630 he had remaining, or face a default sentence of seven days in custody.
The local community in Llanelli has since been left reflecting on how such an extensive illegal operation could persist in a prominent town-centre location for so long. Local authorities say the proceeds of crime process is crucial in sending a strong deterrent message to those seeking to profit from illegal goods, ensuring that crime does not pay in the long run.
Alongside direct financial losses to the exchequer, officials stress that the availability of cheap, counterfeit tobacco poses major public health risks—both by encouraging consumption and by circumventing the strict regulations placed on legal products.
The case highlights not only the determination of trading standards to pursue profit-driven lawbreakers but also the growing collaboration between local and national agencies in tackling the illicit tobacco trade, a problem estimated to be worth millions across the UK.
Authorities continue to urge members of the public to report suspicions of illegal tobacco sales, as enforcement agencies redouble efforts to root out those putting profits before public safety.