West Sussex County Council’s Trading Standards team has secured guilty pleas from two men and a company located at Pop In, 14 High Street, Littlehampton. The defendants admitted to conspiracy charges and fraudulent trading involving the sale of illegal tobacco products.
The investigation involved multiple covert test purchases and raids where large amounts of illicit tobacco and vapes were seized from both the shop premises and hidden in vehicles close by.
At Portsmouth Crown Court on Monday 10 November, Bilbas Ltd, along with Rawa Ahmed and Shahram Ahmedi, pleaded guilty to multiple offences following a lengthy investigation by West Sussex Trading Standards. The crimes, which were committed between March 2023 and August 2024, included benefiting from criminal proceeds amounting to more than £24,000.
A confiscation timetable under the Proceeds of Crime Act has been set, with hearings scheduled into 2026. All defendants remain on unconditional bail. A third defendant pleaded not guilty and is due to stand trial in August 2026.
This case builds on the council’s earlier prosecution in March 2025, when Ahmed was convicted of selling illicit tobacco and alcohol to a child at Pop In.
Cllr Duncan Crow, Cabinet Member for Community Support, Fire and Rescue, said: "This latest prosecution shows how determined we are to keep people safe and deliver on our Council Plan priorities and crack down on high street crime. Illicit tobacco is dangerous, fuels organised crime and undermines honest businesses. Despite a previous conviction, further investigation uncovered a much wider operation involving multiple offences and significant sums of money. Trading Standards will not hesitate to act to protect our communities and stop organised criminality."
Anyone with information about the sale of illicit tobacco can report it anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or contact West Sussex Trading Standards via the council’s website.
