Shop has licence revoked after 20,000 fake cigarettes seized
A shop where more than 20,000 fake cigarettes were seized during a raid has had its licence revoked.
Wolverhampton Council conducted a review of the premises licence of Transilvania Shop in Merridale Street West, Graiseley, at a special licensing sub-committee hearing on Monday.
It came after Wolverhampton’s Trading Standards team swooped on the shop, seizing a total of 20,540 illegal cigarettes.
Calls for a review of the licence were backed by West Midlands Police.
Council bosses welcomed the decision and said the shop’s licence holder had previously been warned following a raid which led to a smaller seizure in 2016.
Wolverhampton Council licensing manager, Chris Howell, said: “The Transilvania Shop, also known as the Romanian Shop, was the subject of a review hearing instigated by Trading Standards following a seizure of counterfeit and non-duty paid tobacco products.
“The seizure was for more than 20,000 sticks of cigarettes.
“The premises licence holder had already been the subject of a warning following a much smaller seizure in 2016.
“As well as being illegal imports, no tax or duty paid, and supporting the black market, the contents of the seizure were highlighted by Public Health as being prejudicial to health, not only due to the regular health concerns, but also due to the fact that there is no laboratory testing mechanism or control in place to reduce the harm that regular branded cigarettes, by law, must comply to."
The cigarettes seized in November’s raid were found behind the counter, in a room above the shop and also in a vehicle parked outside registered to the owner, Miss Mihaela Adriana Epuran.
Health improvement officer Amy Baker said: "Sales of illicit tobacco make smoking more affordable in a ward that is the seventh highest most deprived of all Wolverhampton wards and higher than the city average.
"The location is within the top 20 per cent of most deprived wards in England.
"There are also three primary schools within close proximity of the venue. As a result, young people could be impacted by the toxins produced from the unknown contents of the illicit tobacco sales in this area."
By Gurdip Thandi
