Police call for drug-dealing store manager to have licence revoked

Oct 6 2011 by Rachel Flint, Chester Chronicle

POLICE are calling for a Frodsham shop manager who sold cocaine and cannabis on the premises to be removed.

Ummar Nazib, licence holder at Premier Stores, on Main Street, Frodsham pleaded guilty to possessing class A and B drugs with intent to supply at Chester Crown Court.

Police say Nazib has shown a ‘disturbing reluctance to co-operate with police’ and want enforcement action to remove him.

In a licensing review statement put forward to Cheshire West and Chester Council, Ian Seville, of Cheshire Constabulary, requests that Nazib, 23, is removed as manager of the store and has asked for the premises’s licence to be revoked.

Mr Seville explained that since Nazib became the licence holder in 2007 he had shown a reluctance to co-operate with the police, refusing to produce CCTV and had been threatening towards officers visiting the store on several occasions.

Mr Seville, said: “Such conduct is simply not acceptable and is a clear indication that he should be removed.

“However, far more serious is that Nazib as a principal licence holder (PLH) should abuse this premises and has used the licence premises as a backdrop for the illegal trade of class A drugs.

“He is a regular drug user and a systematic drug dealer from the very premises in which he hold a position of trust.

Nazib was sentenced to 100 hours of community service in August after police seized 21 bags of cocaine during a raid on his flat directly above the store.

Nazib was also charged with possession of class B drugs after police searched his car while he was driving on the M6 on New Year’s Day this year and found he was in possession of cannabis.

Martin McRobb, prosecuting, said Nazib had received text messages asking him to buy a large quantity of cannabis, and messages implying he would be sharing the cocaine with a close female friend.

“The defendant accepts he would have sold cannabis in his possession to his circle of friends, and admits to supplying cocaine to a female friend,” he said.

The Chronicle has attempted to contact Mr Nazib and Premier Stores on numerous occasions, but has received no reply.