Two Coventry shops have been ordered to suspend trading following separate raids on Wednesday that uncovered cannabis, illegal alcohol, hundreds of packets of illegal tobacco and counterfeit goods – as West Midlands Police and Coventry City Council Trading Standards carried out a coordinated operation targeting retailers suspected of illegal activity across Hillfields, Coundon, Foleshill and Earlsdon.
Jacks Off Licence and Newsagents on Harnall Lane East and Warshaw Mini Market on Moseley Avenue in Coundon were both ordered to cease trading immediately following the operations on 14 May. Two men were arrested in connection with the raids, with a further arrest made on immigration grounds.
Jacks Off Licence and Newsagents – what was found
The raid on Jacks Newsagents on Harnall Lane East came after Trading Standards had already revoked the shop’s alcohol licence following a previous investigation in which drugs were alleged to have been sold on the premises.
Officers deployed a drug detection dog – named Dog Lucky in reports – who located cannabis concealed within the property. Crates of alcoholic beverages were also discovered, including Stella Artois, Smirnoff, Holsten Pils and Budweiser – the presence of which, following the revocation of the alcohol licence, is itself a breach of trading conditions.
Counterfeit items were also seized during the raid. These included fake KPop Demon Hunters toys and Thai Red Bull, as well as other goods that did not comply with UK labelling regulations.
Two men were arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class B drugs. Both were taken into custody for questioning. The premises was closed immediately and prohibited from operating pending further investigation.
Warshaw Mini Market – what was found
The second property targeted was Warshaw Mini Market on Moseley Avenue in Coundon. Hundreds of packets of illegal tobacco were allegedly found concealed behind a shutter at the rear of the building – a method of concealment consistent with deliberate attempts to hide illicit stock from inspection.
A Romanian man who had lived in the UK for three and a half years was arrested at the premises on suspicion of immigration offences. The shop was also ordered to stop trading.
The wider operation
Wednesday’s raids were part of a coordinated operation involving officers from West Midlands Police working alongside Coventry City Council’s Trading Standards team. The joint operation targeted multiple retailers suspected of illegal activity across four areas of the city: Hillfields, Coundon, Foleshill and Earlsdon.
Trading Standards operations of this nature typically follow a period of intelligence gathering and complaint monitoring. The prior revocation of Jacks Newsagents’ alcohol licence – which preceded Wednesday’s raid – suggests the Harnall Lane East property had already been subject to significant prior scrutiny before officers moved on it again.
The raids come at a moment of heightened focus on trading standards compliance in Coventry. As we reported in our food hygiene ratings piece, two Coventry food venues currently hold 0-star “urgent improvement necessary” hygiene ratings and more than 28 hold just one star – a picture that reflects broader challenges around regulatory compliance in the city’s retail and food sector.
What illegal tobacco means for communities
The discovery of hundreds of packets of illegal tobacco at Warshaw Mini Market is not an isolated or minor infraction. The illegal tobacco trade in Britain is estimated to cost the Treasury more than £2.5 billion annually in lost duty revenue. It also undercuts legitimate local retailers – including the newsagents, off-licences and corner shops that operate legally – and funds criminal networks.
Illegal tobacco is typically sold significantly below the legal minimum price because no duty has been paid on it. It is often of unknown provenance with no quality controls and is frequently found in areas of higher deprivation where lower prices make it more attractive to consumers. Trading Standards operations targeting illegal tobacco concealment are a specific enforcement priority for councils across the West Midlands.
What happens next
Both premises remain closed pending investigation. The two men arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class B drugs and the man arrested on immigration grounds remain under investigation. West Midlands Police and Coventry City Council have not yet confirmed whether any charges have been brought or whether further enforcement action in the affected areas is planned.
Anyone with information about illegal trading activity in Coventry can contact Coventry City Council’s Trading Standards team or report anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
