Police seek closure of Weymouth c-store over multiple seizure of illegal tobacco

Dorset Police is asking the local council to review the licence of a Weymouth shop over multiple seizure of illegal tobacco including what is reported as one of the biggest-ever seizures in the county.

According to local reports, thousands of illegal cigarettes have been seized from Polish shop in King Street in Weymouth on multiple occasions by police officers and Doret Council Trading Standards. The first incident took place in November 2021 when 250 packs of cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco were discovered at the shop.

Similar quantities of illegal tobacco along with illegal vapes were found in October 2020. Largest seizure happened in  February this year when 12,500 packs of illegal cigarettes, 100kg of tobacco and over 1,000 illegal vapes were after suspicions of the same during test purchases.

Along with illegla tobacco and fake vapes, 19 boxes of nitrous oxide canisters, which are commonly known as laughing gas, were also found from the premises.

Dorset Police are now asking the council to review the shop’s premises licence, meaning it could face closure. The council licencing committee will decide the fate of the shop in a meeting next week on May 4.

The Polish shop was originally licenced as the Polish Deli but is now signed as Weymouth Market. Councillors will be told that alcohol licence is currently suspended, meaning it cannot sell alcohol. This is because there is no designated supervisor at the shop and the annual fee for the licence has not been paid.

In a statement to the council, Dorset Police said: “There can be no excuse for licensees promoting crime within their premises. When considering the relevance of the review and the potential sanctions, if any, that the Sub-Committee may choose, it should be emphasised that Dorset Police and other partner agencies are working tirelessly to tackle this type of criminality that is becoming a National concern.

“It is the view of Dorset Police that this type of activity should not be condoned and further similar operations are planned for the future throughout Dorset to tackle this criminality.

It added: “In summary, the premises is involved in criminal activity that the Licensing Act 2003 considers particularly serious, namely the sale and storage of smuggled tobacco. Dorset Police no longer have confidence in the Premises Licence Holder.”