Details of the Inspections
Muzy Mini Market in Merridale Road, Wolverhampton, faces potential closure after trading standards officers confiscated thousands of illegal products during two separate inspections earlier this year. The shop's licence will be reviewed by City of Wolverhampton Council at a meeting on August 4.
During a March inspection, officers seized 1,977 illegal cigarettes, 88 non-compliant vapes, 26 banned novelty lighters, and 16 cans of counterfeit Red Bull energy drink. A subsequent inspection in May uncovered an additional 2,500 non-duty paid cigarettes and 16 pouches of rolling tobacco, bringing the total number of illicit cigarettes to nearly 4,500.
Licence Transfer Issues
Following the first inspection, an application was made to transfer the premises licence from Mashda Bakhtiar Ali to Soren Bakhtiar Ali, which was initially approved by the council. However, complications arose when an unnamed staff member, who claimed to have worked at the shop for only three days, was found to have no right to work in the UK.
The worker also referred to the shop's previous owner, Laura De La Santisimi Trinidad Garcia, prompting the council to void the most recent licence. It emerged that the transfer application had been signed by Ms Garcia six months after she resigned as director of Muzy Local Stores. As a result, the licence was cancelled and transferred back to Mashda Bakhtiar Ali.
Mashda Bakhtiar Ali served as designated premises supervisor from April 2021 to April 2026 and held the premises licence from August 2022 to April 2026. The licence is now held by Muzy Mart Store, formed in March of this year, with Salami Karsan as the sole director and Soren Bakhtiar Ali as designated premises supervisor.
Police Objection
West Midlands Police have supported revoking the licence, accusing the shop of poor management. In its formal objection, the force stated: “It is clear from the evidence submitted by trading standards that the premise licence holder and designated premise supervisor have not carried out any due diligence into the management of this premise.”
The police objection highlighted the severity of the violations: “Trading standards document the finding of a considerable amount of non-compliant novelty lighters, illegal cigarettes, pouches of hand rolling tobacco and non-compliant vapes – all age-restricted goods. The premise has also 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.”
Upcoming Review
The council's licensing sub-committee will convene on August 4 to decide the fate of Muzy Mini Market. If the licence is revoked, the shop will be forced to close. The case underscores ongoing efforts by Wolverhampton trading standards to combat the sale of illegal tobacco and age-restricted goods in the city.
