Northfield shop caught with illicit vodka and fake wine

A Northfield shop caught with illicit vodka and more than 70 bottles of fake wine could lose its licence.

Ark Convenience Store in Turves Green was subject to a Birmingham City Council licensing sub-committee hearing on 28 July.

The meeting heard more than 70 bottles of illicit vodka and fake wine had been found at the site, with trading standards arguing all options should be considered by the committee including licence revocation.

Police had been informed in February via a Crimestoppers report that the shop was suspected of selling counterfeit Krackoff vodka “unfit for human consumption as it contains high level of industrial alcohol”.

But the vodka and wine were later found not to be harmful to health as HM Revenue and Customs confirmed no duty had been paid on the bottles of Krackoff.

The meeting heard three bottles of Krackoff vodka was found on display along with 69 bottles of counterfeit wine “of a particular brand” was found by trading standards officers at the shop.

It was later found seven bottles of wine of a different brand was also fake.

A trading standards officer speaking during the meeting said: “It would appear that large scale operations are afoot – probably originating abroad – using organised crime gangs in the UK to distribute and sell the product at retail level.

“While this sample of Krackoff was not found to contain harmful alcohol on this occasion, revenue and customs have confirmed it was an illicit product with no duty paid.

“We are aware of seven different varieties of illicit Krackoff vodka on sale across the country and it’s likely the Crimestoppers intel came to the police because there was an issue in Lincolnshire earlier in February where five bottles of Krackoff which did contain harmful alcohol were seized by licensing police there.”

The officer said sale of illicit alcohol had increased during the lockdown period.

West Midlands Police backed the representations made by trading standards and said there are “a number of victims involved in this sort of counterfeiting”.

Police representative Mark Swallow, speaking at the meeting, said: “This could be said to be counterfeiting on an industrial scale.

“West Midlands Police have no confidence in the management of the premises.”

The meeting heard the son of licence holder Surinder Singh Ark had purchased the bottles of wine but no explanation had been given in relation to the vodka.

Chris Hopkins, representing the shop, said: “It is unknown to the licence holder at this stage on exactly what basis the wine brand holder was able to confirm to trading standards […] that all 69 bottles of wine seized at the store on February 24 were indeed counterfeit.

“We really are a bit thin on details regarding that.”

Hopkins said Singh Ark has held a premises licence for nine years and it has never been called in for review by the city council before, adding “it’s a long-established business”.

Hopkins said Singh Ark sees the buying of stock as his responsibility, but in February had flown out to India to care for his parents who were suffering with Covid – and had put his son Amrit to help out at the shop in his absence.

A representative had visited the shop, and Amrit had purchased a selection of wines from him for around £275 – at no point thinking he was not a “legitimate representative” – the meeting heard.

It was only after the second visit from trading standards that Amrit “came clean” to his father and told him about the stock, the meeting heard.

Hopkins said: “Clearly the licence holder fully accepts the products found by trading standards should not have been on display or stored at the shop.”

The meeting heard the vodka could have been on the shelves for a significant period of time and no invoice has been found for it.

Hopkins argued for further conditions to be added to the licence rather than the licence being revoked, which he said would result in the closure of the shop.