Cradley Heath shop loses licence after ‘truckload’ of illegal goods seized

A shop has been stripped of its licence after a ‘truckload’ of illegal alcohol and cigarettes was seized during undercover stings.

Menna Market in High Street, Cradley Heath, was hit with a three-month closure order by Dudley magistrates in September and has now had its licence revoked permanently by Sandwell Council following a hearing on Tuesday (October 27).

Sandwell Council’s trading standards said it believed Menna Market had been selling illegal tobacco products since at least July last year and had called for the licence to be revoked.

Trading standards said hundreds of packets of illegal cigarettes had been stashed in a concealed compartment in the shop’s ceiling.

More than a thousand cigarettes had been found in the boot of a car parked behind the shop alongside hundreds of illegal oversized vapes.

The hearing heard that so much non-duty alcohol, which had continued to be sold despite the suspension of the shop’s licence months earlier, was seized that HMRC had to fetch a bigger lorry.

The shop had also sold £4 packs of cigarettes to undercover officers on several occasions.

Menna Market had been accused by West Midlands Police of ‘deflecting responsibility’ when it tried to change its licence last month.

Sandwell Council’s licensing committee met in September to decide whether to allow changes to the shop’s licence holder only to be informed at the last minute the applications had been withdrawn.

The shop had been searched twice in the last two years with non-duty paid alcohol and quantities of illegal tobacco and cigarettes found on both occasions alongside illicit vapes.

It had also continued to sell alcohol despite having its licence suspended over the non-payment of annual fees.

The shop’s licence was issued to Drink Time Ltd in October 2024 by Sandwell Council with Aram Ibrahemi, who holds a personal licence with Coventry City Council, listed as both premises licence holder and designated premises supervisor (DPS).

Mr Ibrahemi did not attend Tuesday’s hearing and the licence was revoked in his absence.

An application was made in August to change the named licence holder to Drink Time Ltd and to list Magdir Mamant Mohamad, who holds a personal licence issued by East Staffordshire Council and is the sole director of Drink Time Ltd, as the new designated premises supervisor.

West Midlands Police said it believed Mr Mohamad had been involved with the business “throughout the period of concern” and the application was an attempt to “deflect responsibility” for illegal items found during inspections and the unlicensed sale of alcohol.

An objection from West Midlands Police said: “The shop is clearly involved in the sale of illicit items and the transfer […] applications simply reflect an attempt to move the licence to another name whilst the premises is under investigation for illicit sales.

“West Midlands Police are of the opinion this is not a new person and that Magdir Mamant Mohamad, the proposed DPS and sole director of the applicant company, Drink Time Limited, has been involved throughout the period of concern.

“As such, West Midlands Police contend that the granting of the transfer and variation of the designated premises supervisor are simply an attempt to deflect responsibility for the previous visits where illicit items have been found and alcohol has been sold without a licence.

“Furthermore, Mr Mohamad is not a new person to this business and so the granting of these applications would undermine the crime prevention objective.”

A near year-long investigation and crackdown by Sandwell Council and West Midlands Police has so far seen ten shops in Cradley Heath hit with temporary closure orders over the sale of drugs, illegal goods and counterfeit items.

Cradley Market, also in the town’s High Street, was closed for three months after it was found selling cocaine, cannabis, crystal meth, and prescription medicine over the counter.

International Vape in the town’s Lower High Street and All Day in Cradley Road were both forced to close for three months after being hit with orders by magistrates.

G&G Market had its licence revoked by Sandwell Council in July after selling illegal cigarettes and tobacco products just weeks after opening in November last year.

West Midlands Police said the shop had been “undeterred” after numerous illegal cigarettes and tobacco products, as well as prescription-only medicine, were seized and continued selling illicit goods – even to an undercover child – despite several warnings.

The town’s Pay Less, Famous Shop and Vape Express have also been hit with closure orders following action by Sandwell Council.