Muzy Mini Market, located on Merridale Road in Wolverhampton, has had its premises licence revoked following multiple inspections that uncovered a range of illegal goods.
During visits earlier this year, trading standards officers seized a staggering 1,977 illegal cigarettes, 88 vapes that did not meet compliance standards, 26 banned novelty lighters, 16 cans of counterfeit Red Bull energy drink, and packaging and ingredients for counterfeit beauty products.
A subsequent inspection in May resulted in the confiscation of an additional 2,500 non-duty paid cigarettes along with 16 pouches of rolling tobacco. Further concerns emerged when it was discovered that the shop had employed an individual without the right to work in the UK.
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The City of Wolverhampton Council’s licensing committee decided to revoke the shop’s licence at a meeting on 4 August, citing ongoing non-compliance issues. The committee highlighted a lack of engagement from the owners, who did not attend the hearing, and expressed concern over their apparent disinterest in addressing the breaches.
Previously, after the initial inspection, the licence holder was changed from Mashda Bakhtiar Ali to Soren Bakhtiar Ali, a transfer approved by the council. However, irregularities were noted during the process; a staff member reported working for only three days and mentioned the former owner Laura De La Santisimi Trinidad Garcia. It was revealed the transfer application bore Ms Garcia’s signature despite her having resigned as director six months prior, leading to the licence being voided and subsequently reverted to Mashda Bakhtiar Ali.
Further details show that Mashda Bakhtiar Ali was designated premises supervisor from April 2021 to April 2026 and held the premises licence from August 2022 to April 2026. Since March this year, Muzy Mart Store has held the shop’s licence, with Salami Karsan as sole director and Soren Bakhtiar Ali as designated premises supervisor.
West Midlands Police supported the revocation of the licence, condemning the shop’s management as poor. They stated that there was clear evidence the licence holder and premises supervisor had not exercised due diligence in managing the establishment. The presence of a significant quantity of illegal and age-restricted items pointed to breaches of licensing conditions, posing concerns for crime prevention, public safety and the safeguarding of children.
“The premise has breached several licensing conditions, suggesting poor management and failure to uphold the licensing objectives: the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety and the protection of children from harm,” police stated.
The revocation serves as a firm message that illegal trading and disregard for licensing laws will not be tolerated in Wolverhampton.