Delivery men were caught when an undercover council officer asked for cheap cigarettes - which arrived in 20 minutes.

The illicit haul was made up of 439 packets and 20 pouches of tobacco, all in a laundry bag carried into Euro Mini Market on Colwick Road, city magistrates heard.

Younes Karami, 25, was in the driver's seat of a car which had just pulled up. Armand Rostami, 26, was seen inside the shop, standing near the bag.

Constance Green, for Nottingham City Council, said each cigarette packet could have been sold for between a third and half of the £9.60 price for legal products.

"These foreign items are smuggled into the UK and do not have the stringent regulations of manufacture, health warnings and safety checks.

"Stopping the supply of illicit tobacco is particularly difficult and there is the indication that shops are in the control of organised crime groups. Premises are restocked with illegal products following seizure," said Mrs Green.

She told the court the operation began on November 7 when a trading standards officer went into the shop at 1.30pm, asking for cheap cigarettes. He was told to return at 2pm.

But at 1.50pm, the car was spotted and the bag was carried into the shop.

When the men's mobile phones were checked, officers found texts indicating "regular activity appertaining to the supply and sale of tobacco products at a price consistent with the sale of illicit products," added Mrs Green.

The men were each ordered to carry out 150 hours unpaid work. The tobacco is to be destroyed.

Council costs of £150 and a government surcharge of £85 were ordered from Karami. He pleaded guilty to two charges of breach of trade marks and two of supplying products without health warnings in English.

He told the court: "When you are working for someone, an employer, you do what you are being told. I was just the driver bringing it from Derby."

Rostami denied identical charges but was found guilty after a trial. He was given an eight-week prison term, suspended for a year, and must pay £300 council costs and a £115 surcharge.

Referring to earlier hearings, he said: "I come four times and always insist I am innocent."

The pair were helped by a Kurdish interpreter during the case and gave their home address as Spring Hill Tower, Harlow, Essex.