Glasgow director banned eight years for hiding tobacco in furniture

Fazle Masum from Glen Loy Place, Glasgow, was involved in importing raw tobacco concealed inside vacuum-sealed tins that were disguised as part of a furniture shipment.

Border Force officers intercepted the shipment at Grangemouth in January 2022.

The container was addressed to his business, Unique Enterprise Ltd, which did not have the legal approval from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to handle raw tobacco—a requirement in the UK since 2017.

Masum later applied to Border Force to have the seized tobacco returned to him.

Mike Smith, chief investigator at the Insolvency Service, said: "Fazle Masum chose to import raw tobacco without the required approval and went to deliberate lengths to hide what he was doing.

"That is not conduct we expect from company directors.

"Director disqualification is one of the most important tools we have to protect the public.

"By securing this order, we are making sure Masum cannot put other companies, creditors or consumers at risk in the same way."

HMRC fined Unique Enterprise Ltd £152,980 following the investigation.

The company later went into liquidation, owing almost £175,000—nearly all of it the unpaid penalty.

Masum was disqualified as a company director for eight years at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Monday, June 8.

The ban came into effect on Monday, June 29.

His disqualification prevents him from managing, forming, or promoting a company without court permission.

Christina Brown, head of Border Force North Region, said: "Masum's interception highlights Border Force's vigilance against unlicensed tobacco and cigarette smuggling.

"Through intelligence-led multi-agency operations, we are seizing hundreds of millions of illegal cigarettes, disrupting organised crime and protecting legitimate businesses."