Agents Charge Columbia Retailer in Illegal Tobacco Bust

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A Columbia retailer is one of four businessmen charged with selling tobacco products worth an estimated $40,000 that were allegedly imported illegally into the state, authorities say.

The products -- cigars and related products, snuff and chew referred to as OTP by the state -- total nearly 49,000 packages worth more than $40,000. Authorities say they were imported into Maryland and sold in stores in Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Prince George’s County, Anne Arundel County and Howard County.

Investigators charge that Iqbal Mohammed Hussain Thada, 44, of Gaithersburg obtained tobacco products from wholesalers in Virginia and Pennsylvania, transporting the goods into Maryland and distributing them to retail stores as a wholesaler. The retailers then sold the untaxed tobacco to Maryland consumers for increased profit margins.

During inspections of 25 retail stores, investigators found stores that sold untaxed tobacco products. The inspection resulted in untaxed tobacco products seized at these Howard locations:

• Landover Exxon, 6579 Annapolis Road in Hyattsville, 415 packages of OTP with a retail value of $518.75. Criminal citation issued to Belvir Singh, 42, 8545 Black Star Circle, Columbia, for possession, sale or offer to sell untaxed OTP.
• Apex Mini Mart, 5301 East Drive in Arbutus, 1,685 packages of OTP with a retail value of $1,685, and Rosedale Crown, 1771, Chesaco Ave., Rosedale, 361 packages of OTP with a retail value of $361. Two criminal citations issued to Moazzam Aftab, 44, 9088 Town and Country Boulevard, Apt. 6E, Ellicott City; for possession, sale or offer to sell untaxed OTP.