Wolverhampton shop hid 14,000 illegal cigarettes in custom-made concealed area

A review into Mini Mart, in Dudley Road, Blakenhall, saw members of Wolverhampton Council’s licensing sub-committee revoke the premises licence.

The hearing on Wednesdaywas told the contraband was discovered by trading standards and police following raids carried out as a result of tip-offs.

A test purchase, carried out on another occasion, also saw a 15-year-old buy two bottles of WKD and a pack of illegal cigarettes for £5, without being challenged on age or asked to produce ID.

Concealed area

The first incident, on February 15 this year, resulted in the discovery 14,140 illicit cigarettes and 3.350 kg of hand-rolling tobacco from behind the counter and also in a specially constructed concealed area in a rear storeroom.

An unspecified quantity of cannabis, contained in an A4-sized envelope, was also found in the loft of the premises.

A July 8 raid saw a total of 5,860 counterfeit cigarettes taken. This occurred just five days after the test purchase by the teenager had been carried out.

Officers called for revocation of the licence due to concerns that licensing objectives – in particular preventing crime and disorder – were not being upheld.

Their application was supported by West Midlands Police, the council’s licensing department and public health, who said the sale of cheap cigarettes undermined efforts to discourage people from smoking.

Licence not transferred

Premises licence holder Haval Ali told the hearing that, after the first raid, he took action by selling the business to Morteza Rasooli.

But it emerged he hadn’t arranged for the licence to be officially transferred to Mr Rasooli and he was told he was still responsible for what happened at the store.

Mr Rasooli said he had been out of the country, back in his native Iran, when the other incidents occurred and had left the shop in the care of an employee who no longer worked there.

He told the committee that he had been “naive” in trusting the employee and had been making efforts to trace him.

His solicitor Nisha Kainth said he and Mr Ali were not related and refuted suggestions that the transfer of the business was a “front” to cover any activity taking place.

But Paul Dosanjh, from Wolverhampton Trading Standards, said: “We have had three enforcement issues and we found 20,000 cigarettes and more than 3kg of rolling tobacco.

“There is a bag of cannabis and we’ve had the sale of alcohol and cigarettes to an under-18 and the cigarettes were illicit.

“We’ve been told there has been a change of ownership but there were cigarettes found in the old guard and under a new guard. The business changes hands but the activity stays the same.

“Children are not being protected from harm and crime continues. The problem is the premises.”

The business has 21 days to appeal the revocation decision.