Shop shut down for selling illegal cigarettes

A shop in Droylsden has been shut down for ‘long-standing criminal activity’. The licence holder of Lazo Minimarket was hauled before Tameside council’s licensing panel to answer for ‘repeated non-compliance’ with their rules.

The Sunnyside Road store has been visited by the authorities five times since April 2024, with more than 1,800 illegal cigarette packets being seized in that time, the panel was told. The meeting in the Tameside One building on January 19 was told that a visit to the premises on October 13, 2025 saw the largest haul of counterfeit goods found at the site.

The operation from Trading Standards, Greater Manchester Police, environmental health and other partners seized 1,558 cigarette packets, 61 hand-rolling tobacco pouches, 201 e-cigarettes and 86 blunt cones (associated with cannabis use), the meeting heard.

Fardin Khezri, who is the current sole director of Droylsden Off License Limited responsible for the store, claimed he had no knowledge the goods were illegal. Mr Kherzi bought the business on October 3, 2025 for £20,000 in cash, he told the panel of councillors. 

“I have completely changed how it is run,” Mr Kherzi explained. “Anything from the previous owners isn’t my responsibility.

“Since the licence has been under my name the shop has been operating legally and all the requirements are in place. These items were not mine.”

A visit from the council’s regulatory compliance officer James Horton on December 16, 2025 confirmed the shop was fully compliant with all licensing conditions. Mr Kherzi admitted he did work at the shop when it was selling illegal goods under a previous ownership, but claimed he didn’t know the goods were illegally smuggled into the UK.

Speaking on the amount of illicit goods seized, PC Craig Foley told the panel: “This shows a total disregard, and I suspect that the stock that was seized would have been replenished within hours of the officers leaving the shop. 

“Counterfeit crime is not victimless, and the money made from this lucrative business funds an array of sinister criminal activity. By decimating the counterfeit trade and systematically shutting down every shop, warehouse and storage unit involved, we will see a reduction in violent crime, vehicle crime and theft from people. 

“Drug dealing will no longer be blatant, and the communities will feel safer.”

Licensing officer Mike Robinson said: “Evidence today displays long-standing criminal behaviour at the Lazo Minimarket. A significant amount of criminal behaviour has taken place since Mr Kherzi has been the licence holder.”

Mr Kherzi felt it was ‘completely unfair’ to revoke the licence as he had corrected everything required of him.

The panel, chaired by Coun Helen Bowden, ultimately decided to remove the shop’s licence, meaning they no longer have the ability to sell alcohol and other age-restricted items.