BRADFORD Council has refused to grant an alcohol licence to a businessman recently convicted of selling contraband cigarettes in a Keighley town-centre shop.

Last month, Marhwan Najat was given a community order and fined after pleading guilty to fraudulent evasion of excise duty following raids by HM Revenue and Customs on businesses in Keighley.

But while the case was ongoing, he had applied for a licence for another business in the town centre.

The Bradford District Licensing Panel met to decide on an application by Mr Najat to sell alcohol from 8am until 1am and late-night refreshments at 46 High Street, Keighley.

West Yorkshire Police had urged members of the panel to refuse the application, referencing Mr Najat’s previous convictions and saying he was “not a suitable person” to hold such a licence.

And at the meeting, members were told the sale of illicit tobacco was not a “victimless crime” and had links to organised crime and money laundering.

A letter sent to the panel said: “HM Revenue and Customs and the police have seized illicit cigarettes and hand rolling tobacco, at 18 High Street and 46 High Street, Keighley.

“Mr Najat has links to both shops and was the premises licence holder and designated premises supervisor at 18 High Street when products were seized.”

During the raids, on November 24, 2017 and April 11 last year, thousands of illicit cigarettes were found, as well as large amounts of illicit rolling tobacco.

HMRC believes the counterfeit tobacco seized during the raids would lead to tens of thousands of pounds of duty being lost.

The letter also revealed that one of the workers at the store was an asylum seeker with no permission to work in the UK, and he was seen working there on three occasions.

Mr Najat did not attend yesterday's panel meeting.

PC Kevin Lord, Bradford district police licensing officer, attended and urged members to refuse the licence, saying it was likely granting it would lead to further crimes.

He said: “We believe certain criminal activity could arise from this licence, and it should be treated seriously.

“We have major concerns about him being granted this premises licence.

“The sale of illicit tobacco is not a victimless crime. It has links to national and international organised crime and crimes like money laundering.

“It is something we take very seriously.

“We believe you have no option to refuse this application. We don’t believe he is a suitable person to have a premises licence. We believe illicit tobacco would continue to be sold from these premises.”

After a short deliberation, the panel decided to refuse the application on the grounds of crime prevention.

Mr Najat, 23, of High Street, Keighley was sentenced on February 22 along with Hazhar Najim 36, of Temple Street, Keighley, after both pleaded guilty to fraudulent evasion of excise duty.

Najim was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment, suspended for two years, with 280 hours of unpaid work and £1,500 costs. Najat was sentenced to a two-year community order with 200 hours of unpaid work and £500 costs.