(Image: T&A)
An off licence was found to be storing over 330 litres of illicit alcohol during a raid this past summer.
The raid at 284 Leeds Road in Shipley, known as Booze Master, also uncovered hundreds of contraband cigarettes.
Now the licence holder for the business is applying to transfer his licence to sell alcohol to a newly established company – of which he is the sole director.
That licence application will go before a meeting of Bradford Council’s Licensing Panel on Monday, when members will be told that current licence holder Salam Shaly has a previous conviction for being caught with counterfeit cigarettes.
246 contraband cigarettes also discovered
The raid by West Yorkshire Police and HMRC took place on August 12 and uncovered 334 litres of mixed beer and spirits, 246 mixed-brand cigarettes and 0.2kg of hand rolling tobacco that were “illicit and non-duty paid.”
Since then Mr Shaly, the designated premises supervisor for the store, has applied for his licence to be transferred to a company called Booze House LTD.
Mr Shaly is listed as the sole director of that newly formed company.
Police want transfer refused
West Yorkshire Police have written to Bradford Council urging them to refuse the licence transfer.
A letter to the panel says: “Investigations into the seizures and the wider operation of the business remain ongoing.
“At the time of the (August 12) visit, Mr Shaly was the designated premises supervisor (DPS).
"Whilst it is believed that he was not present when the visit took place, the role of a DPS is to exercise day-to-day control and responsibility for the operation of the premises and to ensure that the business is run lawfully.
“On August 26, Mr Shaly became the sole director of a newly incorporated company, BOOZE HOUSE LTD. Subsequently, on September 16, an application was received seeking to transfer the premises licence into the name of that company.
“Police records show that Mr Shaly has previous convictions for offences of fraudulent evasion of prohibition or restriction and fraudulent evasion of duty. The offences were committed on June 3 2019.
“On February 3 2022, at Bradford Crown Court, he pleaded guilty and received a suspended custodial sentence together with an unpaid work requirement.
“The previous convictions are directly relevant to the matters currently under investigation at the premises, namely the possession and sale of illicit tobacco and alcohol products.
“The Police consider it significant that the individual now seeking to become the controlling mind of the licence-holding company has a history of offending involving the very type of goods recently seized from the premises.
“Bradford District Police have no confidence that granting this transfer would promote the licensing objectives.”
The meeting takes place in City Hall on Monday at 10am.