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Illicit alcohol and tobacco
worth ₤11,000 seized
OFFICERS from Liverpool City Council's
Alcohol and Tobacco Unit seized around 130 bottles of illicit vodka from an off
licence as part of a joint operation with Merseyside Police.
After visiting Discount Booze on Stanley Road in L5 on 28 March and seizing a
quantity labelled Metropolis vodka worth ₤2,500, a study of the bottles showed
the duty paid number on the bottles was not consistent with the manufacturer.
Also seized was a quantity of counterfeit tobacco from Taz Newsagents on Rocky
Lane in L6. A total of 84 packets of 50 grams of Golden Virginia and 580
cigarettes with a total street value of ₤7,500 were discovered hidden in the
shop.
Councillor Christine Banks, Chair of the Licensing Committee, said:- "The
Alcohol and Tobacco Unit could not determine where Metropolis Vodka came from or
the company that made it, which means that it is impossible to guarantee its
quality. These type of spirits are often topped up with toxic substances, such
as methanol, which pose a serious risk to health, so it is vital that people do
not drink it."
Both shops have received cautions, as have Quality Bargains on Rocky Lane where
1,300 counterfeit cigarettes worth ₤650 were found recently, and County Pound
Plus on County Road in Walton where 1,100 illegal cigarettes with a street value
of ₤500 were discovered. |
