Dagenham off-licence fined £11k over smuggled goods and under-age alcohol sale
Magazin Romanesc Oltenia off-licence in Broad Street, Dagenham. Picture: Google - Credit: Google
A married couple running an off-licence caught with smuggled goods and selling alcohol to a minor have been fined more than £11,520.
Soren Holder, owner of Magazin Romanesc Oltenia, and store manager Cerasella Holder, both 44, had their premises license revoked earlier this year following the offences.
The off-licence in Broad Street was caught with illegal bottles of spirit and 14,000 cigarettes without plain packaging during a visit by the council’s Trading Standards team in June.
A 16-year-old volunteer was sold an alcoholic drink during a planned test purchase two weeks prior.
Mr Holder was fined £2,000 and his wife Cerasella £3,000.
The pair must also pay £1,000 for the smuggled goods, £3,000 for the plain packing offences and costs awarded to the council, plus £1,090 and a £170 victim surcharge each.
“We want businesses to be responsible and act in a lawful manner so our residents are not at risk,” said the council’s enforcement spokeswoman, Cllr Margaret Mullane.
