And a Trading Standards officer has told councillors how the “nasty” knock-offs could contain toxic dyes.
The raid on Keighley Pound Plus at 16 Cavendish Street took place in December, and on Thursday the store was stripped of its licence to sell alcohol by Bradford Council.
‘Counterfeit cigarettes hidden behind pet food’
Police told a licensing panel that the shop was the centre of “sustained criminal activity to sell illicit tobacco.”
The store was one of several business to be raided by Trading Standards and Police on December 9.
During the raid, officers uncovered drawers filled with counterfeit cigarettes hidden behind pet food, and a sophisticated compartment that could be lowered from the ceiling, also containing contraband.
The sniffer dog smells something suspicious at Keighley Pound Plus (Image: West Yorkshire)
Shop worker travels to Keighley from London
A report to members of the panel said when officers visited they encountered a man working in the shop.
It said: “The shop worker claimed that he was from London and travelled to Keighley to work in the shop four days at a time.
“A tobacco detection dog arrived, and illicit tobacco was found concealed under the display shelving to the rear of the store.
“The dog then indicated a find around the top of the stairs leading to the cellar.
“The dog handler investigated further and found a false panel in the ceiling. The shop worker was asked to open it but denied any knowledge, it was forced open.
“It contained concealed illicit tobacco hidden inside a lighting panel in the roof. There appeared to be some mechanism which would allow the concealment to be accessed when needed.
Results of the raid
“In total, 426 packets of illicit cigarettes were seized and 60 packets of 50g illicit hand rolled tobacco.
“130 oversized vapes and 149 single use vapes were seized, all of which are illegal, and three counterfeit Labubu dolls.
“The supply of illegal tobacco not only causes harm to people but also causes genuine businesses to lose income and potentially close.
“This damages local communities with reduced employment and the loss of essential services.”
One of the hidden storage areas found at Keighley Pound Plus (Image: Trading Standards)
Shop a base of criminality
At the meeting members heard the licence holder was Keighley Pound Plus Ltd; a private limited company whose sole director is Mr Ari Rafiq.
The designated premises supervisor is Aso Rafiq Mohammed, who is registered as living in Wolverhampton.
The same pair were also involved in the running of Wisla on Cavendish Street, which was also stripped of its licence at the same Thursday meeting.
PC Kevin Lord told the panel Keighley Pound Plus is not just being mismanaged, it is being used as a base of criminality.
Jason Bethell from Trading Standards highlighted the sophisticated set up, saying the normal price for a criminal gang to install a compartment like the one found in this building was £5,000.
What is a Labubus?
Labubus are monstrous-looking teddy bears that have become increasingly popular in recent years.
Referring to the counterfeit dolls, he said: “Counterfeit Labubu dolls are smuggled into the country by the container load by criminal gangs.
“It might seem like a trivial matter, but they are potentially dangerous.
“They can contain toxic dyes and small parts like eyes and feet that can be a choking hazard.
“They had some nasty counterfeit dolls in the shop.”
Asked more about the counterfeit Labubu trade, Mr Bethell said genuine dolls could cost £30 to £50, with limited edition dolls costing hundreds.
The counterfeit dolls are sold for around £5.
He added: “There is a lot of money in them, so someone in China has decided to copy them and ship the counterfeits around the world by the container load.
“A lot of pre-planning and time and money have gone into this.”
Solicitor argues for suspension of licence
The licence holder was not present, but they were represented by solicitor Alias Yousaf.
He said he was “not there to minimise the concerns” of police and Trading Standards.
But he urged the panel not to revoke the licence, saying the matter could be dealt with by a suspension, and the appointment of a new premises supervisor.
Chris of the panel Councillor Sabiya Khan (Lab, Wibsey) said: “Do you not think we’d be failing in our duty if we didn’t uphold the licensing objectives and protect our communities?”
Mr Yousaf said: “Absolutely, however, those are the submissions I am making.”
Members burst into laughter
The panel were told that in March 2022, they had revoked the premises licence for another off licence where Mr Rafiq was the premises licence holder after seizures of illicit tobacco.
But Mr Yousaf said of Keighley Pound Plus: “It was not one of those places where this was happening month in, month out.”
Councillor Celia Hickson (Green, Tong) said: “You’re trying to persuade us the shelf the dog found and the hidden compartment had only appeared in the last few months, and before then no illegal sales had been happening?”
Mr Yousaf replied: “I can’t assist you with that.”
All three members of the panel then burst into laughter.
PC Lord said: “To say nothing has happened in that time is a nonsense. We can’t say it has happened, but I know what I’d go down the line of.”
He said even if a new DPS was brought in, Mr Rafiq would still be “pulling the strings.”
Members voted to revoke the licence.