An owner of a Walsall off-licence where thousands of illegal cigarettes were found stashed away in the ceiling could lose his licence.

A total of more than 56,000 illicit cigarettes were found on three separate raids between 2018 and 2020 at European Off Licence and Convenience Store in Wolverhampton Road by Walsall trading standards.

A test purchase carried out in 2018 and then another last year saw counterfeit packets sold to the 'customer' for half the normal retail price.

As a result Walsall Council's chief inspector of weights and measures, Stuart Powell, has called for the premises licence to be revoked and a hearing will take place on Wednesday, February 3.

In evidence submitted to the licensing committee, owner Bikramjit Singh Mann said he has had nothing to do with running the business since 2017.

He said he has leased it out to other parties - found by a letting agent he had hired - and provided copies of the agreements to committee members.

Illegal cigarettes found hidden in a ceiling at European Off Licence and Convenience Store in Wolverhampton Road, Walsall. PIC: Walsall Council
Illegal cigarettes found hidden in a ceiling at European Off Licence and Convenience Store in Wolverhampton Road, Walsall. PIC: Walsall Council

But Mr Powell added Mr Mann was the named designated premises supervisor and premises licence holder and having no involvement with the business was contrary to the licensing act.

On October 24 2018, Trading Standards carried out a raid of the premises with a tobacco detection dog and found 15,300 cigarettes and small amount of hand rolling tobacco found in store room and hidden in a ceiling.

Mr Powell said: "Some of (the illicit tobacco) was in a bag in a storeroom, but the majority was hidden in a ceiling behind a light fitting. The light fitting was held closed by an electromagnet.

Illegal cigarettes found hidden in a ceiling at European Off Licence and Convenience Store in Wolverhampton Road, Walsall. PIC: Walsall Council
Illegal cigarettes found hidden in a ceiling at European Off Licence and Convenience Store in Wolverhampton Road, Walsall. PIC: Walsall Council

"Deliberate concealment of these products indicates that there is a knowledge that they cannot be legally sold and that the seller is committing a crime."

Less than two months later, on December 7, a test purchase was carried out where a pack of 20 Marlboro cigarettes were sold for £5.

Officers continued to receive complaints about illegal cigarettes being sold at the shop throughout 2019 and another raid was carried out, with a detection dog, on September 13.

As a result of that operation, 19,000 cigarettes and a small amount of hand rolling tobacco was found on stairs leading to the flat above the shop.

A pack of counterfeit Richmond cigarettes were bought during a test purchase on August 20 last year and this was followed by a raid four days later.

During that exercise, 22,380 cigarettes and a small amount of hand rolling tobacco was found in the store.

Illegal cigarettes found hidden in a store room at European Off Licence and Convenience Store in Wolverhampton Road, Walsall. PIC: Walsall Council
Illegal cigarettes found hidden in a store room at European Off Licence and Convenience Store in Wolverhampton Road, Walsall. PIC: Walsall Council

Mr Powell said: "Walsall Trading Standards has received numerous complaints about illegal tobacco being sold from the premises and a large quantity of illegal tobacco products has been found in the store on three occasions during visits by officers and a tobacco detector dog.

"Counterfeit and incorrectly labelled cigarettes has also been bought from the store during a covert test purchase operation in the last year."

"Illegal tobacco is produced, smuggled and distributed by organised crime gangs with large profits to be made.

"These activities also have the potential to have a serious detrimental effect on the health of customers, facilitate smoking by children and to bring more crime into the area.

European Off Licence and Convenience Store in Wolverhampton Road, Walsall.
European Off Licence and Convenience Store in Wolverhampton Road, Walsall.

"In addition, there are questions relating to the lack of involvement in the business of the DPS and Premises Licence Holder."

Mr Mann is appealing to the committee not to revoke his licence and said he believed he had complied with everything required of him when he rented out his shop through a letting agent.

He said: "I purchased the premises in 2002 and ran a shop business until approximately May 2017.

"During this time, Walsall Council have not had any issues of concern regarding the operating of the shop whilst it was under my actual control.

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"I am a man of previous good character and have no convictions or cautions recorded against me.

"In 2017, I decided to leave the business and rent out the said address. I had found employment which meant I could work more sociable hours.

"I have worked very hard over the years to ensure the shop obtained various approvals and to comply with the law.

"By revoking the licence, it will result in the premises becoming unsaleable and unrentable which will cause not only financial distress to me but will also result in the building becoming derelict."