The premises licences for two Spalding shops have been revoked after both were found to have sold smuggled cigarettes.
It means Winsover and Baltic – both in Winsover Road and both having Karwan Ahmad as the premises licence holder – will be unable to sell alcohol when the 21-day appeal period expires next month.
At a review of the premises licence for Winsover on Thursday (February 11), Mr Ahmad claimed that he was not involved with the shop until after it was raided on December 2 last year.
He was “keen to stress that others may have motivation to wish to blame him for the sale or storage of non-duty paid tobacco”.
But a panel of South Holland District Council’s licensing committee said his claim was “not credible”. On the day of the raid, staff at both shops confirmed Mr Ahmad was the owner and he had told police during a phone call that he had taken over the shop.
Meeting minutes said: “It would be highly improbable that Mr Ahmad could take over one store in October 2015 and know nothing about what was occurring in the store by December 2015. Mr Ahmad suggests that he had not yet taken over 43 Winsover Road by the 2 December 2015.
“It seems highly unlikely that he would have proceeded to purchase the business with the knowledge that it had been raided in respect of illegal cigarettes, at a time when his own business had also been raided.”
Mr Ahmad’s premises licence for Baltic was revoked on Friday.(February 12)
Thousands of non duty-paid cigarettes were uncovered during a raid on the same day as Winsover. His link with Baltic had been discovered on paperwork.
Sgt Kim Enderby, of Lincolnshire Police’s alcohol licensing department, said: “In two separate stock rooms at the rear of the store, we found elaborate electronic hides built into the walls.
“These were found to contain thousands of illegal cigarettes. This was a sophisticated attempt to avoid detection; false walls and cavities had been built, and then filled with cigarettes. Fortunately we are now experienced in the detection of concealments of this type.
“This is the sixth licence to be revoked in the county this year, sending a clear message that criminal behaviour of any type will not be tolerated.”
