Detection dog sniffs out hidden cigarettes stash in Wolverhampton shop's fake wall

Watch as tobacco detection dog Cooper sniffs out the fake wall to uncover a stash of cigarettes.

Pictures: BWY CANINE

A shop in Wolverhampton which sold vapes to schoolchildren has been ordered to pay more than £100,000, after a police dog uncovered a hidden stash of cigarettes behind a washroom shop's fake wall.

Tobacco detection dog Cooper was brought in to sniff out the hidden stash at Honey Mini Market, trading as Warstones Mini Market on Warstones Road.

It's after a parent contacted Trading Standards officers at the City of Wolverhampton Council, to report concerns that teenage schoolchildren were being sold vapes from the shop.

Officers organised an authorised underage sales test purchase in August 2024, where a 16-year-old volunteer was sold an oversized vape.

A covert officer who accompanied the child volunteer was also sold an illicit pack of cigarettes.

Trading Standards then inspected the store with specially-trained detection dog Cooper, and found:

  • 13,920 illicit cigarettes

  • 1.95 kg of illicit hand rolling tobacco

  • 200g of shisha

  • 275 oversized or non-compliant vapes

Officers say most of the cigarettes were hidden behind the fake plasterboard wall.

They found single packets of illicit cigarettes stacked according to brand in a bespoke sliding shelving unit.

More packets of illicit cigarettes and pouches of illicit hand rolling tobacco were found in the loft space above the washroom.

Trading Standards discovered 13,920 illicit cigarettes,1.95 kg of illicit hand rolling tobacco, 200g of shisha and 275 oversized vapes. Credit: City of Wolverhampton Council

At a hearing at Dudley Magistrates Court, owner and director Shabez Salehi attended on behalf of the company and himself. Both pleaded guilty to a string of charges.

The owner was given a 12-month community order after the stash was found behind the wall and in a loft space.

In total, the company was fined £96,000, with costs of £2,540 and a victim surcharge of £2,000, making a total of £100,540.05.

Salehi was given a 12-month community order with a 200 hours unpaid work requirement.

He was also ordered to pay costs of £2,540 and a victim surcharge of £114, giving a total of £2,654.05.

Both the company and Salehi pleaded guilty to:

  • three charges under Tobacco and Related Products Regulations

  • two charges under the Children and Families Act

  • five charges under the Trade Marks Act

  • one charge under each of the Children and Young Persons (Protection from Tobacco) Act, Companies Act and Proceeds of Crime Act.

The company also admitted one further charge under the Children and Families Act.

Since June 1st 2025, sales of disposable vapes have been banned across the UK.

It is illegal to sell vapes or e-cigarettes to anyone under the age of 18.

In addition, the vape sold was not permitted to be on sale in the UK, as it did not meet required specifications.

Credit: PA

Salehi said the underage sale was made by the shop’s landlord. But the landlord denied responsibility for the shop, and said he was helping out in an emergency.

Salehi also claimed that the illicit and non-compliant products found were being stored for someone else - a claim not proved with any evidence.

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Councillor Bhupinder Gakhal, City of Wolverhampton Council’s cabinet member for resident services, said: “This was a dreadful case where a city shop owner not only concealed hundreds of illicit products, but also sold them to local schoolchildren.

“This prosecution is the latest successful step in our ongoing efforts to protect our young people and disrupt the supply of illicit tobacco in the city.

“The sale of illicit vapes and tobacco poses a serious risk to health – they are unregulated, contain excessive and dangerous chemicals, and encourage underage use, potentially leading to addiction.

“Such sales also harm legitimate local businesses who face unfair competition from the unscrupulous retailers. This case is a great result for our Trading Standards team who work extremely hard to crack down on any business selling and supplying illicit and dangerous products.”

Dudley Magistrates Court made a forfeiture and destruction order against the items seized.

The cigarettes and tobacco will now be handed over to a recycling scheme by Trading Standards officers to be dealt with in an environmentally-friendly manner.

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