Japan Tobacco International (JTI) has removed its tobacco gantries from three retailers prosecuted for sales of illegal tobacco. This brings the total number of gantries removed by JTI to 38.

The owner of Save & Smile in Epsom was ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £2,160 following a seizure in July 2018. The owner of Queensgate News in Burnley was given a suspended sentence and ordered to pay costs of more than £1,000 after being caught for the third time, while the owner of Galaxy News was fined £2,400 following a seizure last July.

Charlie Cunningham-Reid, UK head of corporate affairs, commented: “These retailers must have thought that selling illegal tobacco would have little downside. However, on top of the penalties handed out by the courts, these retailers have now lost their gantries and any future support from JTI.

“Our message to retailers is simple – Don’t Be Complicit in Illicit.”