Man with bag of illegal cigarettes to pay £400,000

Michael Addison was ordered to pay back the money at a confiscation hearing at Oxford Crown Court

A man found guilty of possessing illegal cigarettes and tobacco has been ordered to pay back £400,000 within six months or face four years' imprisonment.

Michael Addison, 65, from Cheltenham, was convicted of five counts relating to the possession of fake cigarettes and smuggled hand rolling tobacco.

In April 2024 he was caught at Kidlington market with a bag containing cigarettes and tobacco on the back seat of his car, along with a notebook detailing sales records.

At a confiscation hearing on Tuesday he was also ordered to pay Oxfordshire County Council's costs of £30,593. He will be sentenced for criminal offences in November.

Addison was found with cigarettes depicting Marlon Brando in The Godfather

The authority's trading standards service conducted an operation alongside Thames Valley Police and the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit.

Addison previously received a two year suspended sentence for similar offences in September 2023.

During an interview under police caution, he claimed the cigarettes had been bought for his personal use.

Jenny Hannaby, cabinet member for community safety, said: "The outcome of this case should be a stark warning to others that the sale of illegal tobacco will not be tolerated in Oxfordshire and that robust action will be taken by our officers."