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The shops, which have been the subject of repeated complaints and intelligence, will be boarded up with copies of the notices fixed to their premises and have their locks changed. Breach of a Closure Order is a criminal offence and can result in penalties of either an unlimited fine or imprisonment for up to three months or both.
The closed premises, which will shut for the next three months to prevent further criminal activities taking place, are:
Northdown Road Groceries, 104 Northdown Road, Margate.
Al Madinah Foods, 106 Northdown Road, Margate.
International Mini Market, 200a Northdown Road, Margate.
Margate Shop Ltd, 253 Northdown Road, Margate.
King Street Retail, 30 King Street, Ramsgate.
International Store, 67 High Street, Ramsgate.
S & D Store, 7a High Street, St Lawrence, Ramsgate.
The action is part of an ongoing multi-agency operation of some four years by Thanet District Council, Kent County Council Trading Standards, Kent Police, Home Office Immigration Enforcement, and HMRC to tackle illicit tobacco sales, tax evasion, and the use of illegal immigrant workers.
The premises have been visited a number of times since 2018 and illicit tobacco has been seized along with quantities of cash allied to this type of sales. In visits this year, some 66,860 cigarettes and 44.76 kg of hand-rolling tobacco have been seized.
Councillor Helen Whitehead, acting leader of Thanet District Council, said: “We are committed to the fight against cheap and illicit tobacco and I’m pleased that the magistrates have shared our concerns about these premises and have agreed to the closure order.
“This should send a strong message to businesses not cooperating with authorities when it comes to making our district a better place to live. Illegal tobacco is not a victimless crime – it harms legitimate businesses and society in general due to tax not being paid, facilitates the supply of tobacco to underage people and supports organised criminal networks.”
District commander for Thanet, chief inspector Rhiannan Pepper of Kent Police, added: “We will continue to work with our partner agencies to tackle this issue and urge anyone who suspects illegal activity in their area to report it, as your information could help future investigations.”
