Shopkeeper fined for selling fake vodka

Mehdi Nilsaz, the owner of Carlton Supermarket, on Anlaby Road, Hull, was fined £350 and ordered to pay £500 costs and a £15 victim surcharge by Hull Magistrates Court.

Mr Nilsaz pleaded guilty to two charges - one relating to unauthorised use of a trade mark and the other in relation to food safety.

The legal action followed a visit by Hull Council Trading Standards officers to the shop last July and found four bottles labelled as Smirnoff vodka. The officers believed the labelling to be counterfeit and subsequent tests showed that the bottles did not contain the genuine drink.

Mr Nilsaz claimed that he got the bottles from a customer known only as Mr Dennis as collateral for an unpaid grocery bill of around £50. He said Mr Dennis did not return and so he put the bottles on the shelves for sale.

Officers believed his account was questionable and Mr Dennis was never traced.

Tests on counterfeit bottles recently seized by Trading Standards officers nationally contained alarming levels of methanol – a key ingredient used to make anti-freeze and various other industrial strength solvents.

Chris Wilson, City Trading Standards Manager said: “Counterfeit vodka seized in other parts of the country has been found to contain either dangerous chemicals such as isopropanol (a liquid alcohol used as a solvent) or have harmfully high levels of alcohol.

“Any business supplying fake vodka will be investigated and may face prosecution.”