A shopkeeper who failed to pay more than £47,000 of duty on alochol has been given a probation order.

HMRC officials who raided Raminder Singh Gosal's shop, his home, car and two storage containers, found a quantity of Glen's vodka and High Commissioner whisky with fake “duty paid” labels.

The searches were conducted at Mindy's Mini Mart in Shettleston Road, Glasgow, his home in Mount Vernon and storage containers at 99 Camburn Street, Glasgow. 

Depute fiscal Mark Allan said: “Legal authority is required to hold duty exempt goods. The accused did not have that authority.”

Gosal, 39, admitted keeping goods on which duty had not been paid, totalling £47,560 with intent to defraud HMRC and using more than 3000 counterfeit UK duty stamps.


Sheriff Sam Cathcart said: “When you knew illegality was involved you decided to sell the material as if duty had been paid.”

He handed Gosal a probation order with the conditions he will be supervised for 12 months and carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.

He will also be tagged and have to stay inside his home address between 7pm and 7am for 10 months.

Glasgow Sheriff Court was told that some of the bottles seized should never have been on sale in the UK – they were duty exempt and destined for sale abroad.

Defence QC Gordon Jackson told the court when Gosal got the goods from his supplier he believed the money he paid included duty.

Confiscation proceedings will take place at a later date.