Key Points
- Jo Jo Convenience Store at 58 Fulham High Street, Fulham, West London, has had its alcohol licence revoked by Hammersmith & Fulham Council’s licensing sub-committee.
- The revocation occurred after a hearing on Tuesday, 20 January 2026, under the 2003 Licensing Act to prevent crime and disorder.
- Hammersmith & Fulham Council Trading Standards team conducted multiple visits over three years (from January 2022 to March 2025), seizing illegal goods including 529 oversized e-cigarettes, duty-free cigarettes, counterfeit shishas, non-duty paid vodka, and hand-rolling tobacco.
- E-cigarettes seized in January 2022 contained six times the maximum permitted e-liquid level and nicotine strength of 5% versus the legal 2%.
- Successive licence holders Gajinder Singh Sachdeva (previous) and Kalyan Singh (current) were accused of a ‘consistent and deliberate pattern of criminal behaviour’.
- Trading Standards officer Ladan Mohamud highlighted risks of cheap tobacco, house fires from illegal vapes, and links to organised crime groups.
- Senior officer Doug Love recommended full revocation, stating the business is ‘not attempting to trade legally’ and goods come from dubious sources like ‘the back of vans or iffy cash-and-carries’.
- Representative Surendra Panchal for Kalyan Singh requested a three-month suspension instead, claiming the owner had ‘pulled his socks up’, blaming the previous holder, and promising improved staff training.
- Specific incidents include test purchases of illegal Marlboro Gold (£8-£10), Vogue Frisson (£8), seizures hidden in crisp boxes, and Mr Singh’s refusal to assist officers despite warnings.
- Officers noted illicit goods are unsafe, promote smoking, and are distributed by organised crime involved in serious activities.
- The sub-committee decided after a 20-minute discussion, revoking the licence completely.
Fulham (West London News) January 27, 2026 – Jo Jo Convenience Store at 58 Fulham High Street has been stripped of its alcohol licence following repeated sales of illegal tobacco, vapes, and alcohol, as determined by Hammersmith & Fulham Council’s licensing sub-committee. The decision came after Trading Standards officers presented evidence of a three-year pattern of breaches by successive licence holders Gajinder Singh Sachdeva and Kalyan Singh. The revocation under the 2003 Licensing Act aims to curb crime and disorder linked to illicit trading.
What Led to the Licence Revocation Hearing?
The Hammersmith & Fulham Council Trading Standards team launched investigations into Jo Jo Convenience Store starting in January 2022, conducting raids, test purchases, and sniffer dog searches over more than three years. As reported by the Asian Trader, officers visited the store multiple times, seizing illegal and potentially unsafe goods while issuing warning letters.
In a significant raid in January 2022, officers confiscated 529 e-cigarettes that contained six times the maximum permitted liquid level and more than double the legal nicotine quantity of 5% compared to the permitted 2%, according to the council’s licence review report detailed by Ben Lynch, Local Democracy Reporter for Fulham SW6. The then-licence holder, Gajinder Singh Sachdeva, claimed the items were brought in by “a caller to the shop”, leading to a warning letter for the business.
Further test purchases in May 2022 saw undercover officers buy two packs of Polish-market Marlboro Gold cigarettes, illegal for UK sale, at £8 each. A month later, a detection dog uncovered concealed illegal cigarettes, counterfeit shishas, and Smirnoff vodka that was genuine but owed UK duty. Officers noted there was “no way Mr Sachdeva could have known the alcohol was genuine”.
Which Specific Seizures Occurred During Raids?
Gajinder Singh Sachdeva was interviewed under caution after the June 2022 raid and stated the goods were delivered by the same caller “3-4 days” before, a claim Trading Standards dismissed as “impossible” given prior test purchase sightings a month earlier. Mr Sachdeva said the vodka was not for sale but could not explain restocking illegal cigarettes, repeatedly apologising. The council withdrew court plans after he offered signs admitting offences and paid costs, issuing another warning letter, as per Ben Lynch of Fulham SW6.
Raids continued under new licence holder Kalyan Singh, who took over in May 2024 but had worked at the premises for about four years. In October 2024, officers bought Marlboro Gold marked “for duty-free sale only” for £10, believed sold by Mr Singh though unconfirmed. Further purchases over two months yielded more duty-free cigarettes. In March 2025, requesting Marlboro Gold, Mr Singh offered Vogue Frisson duty-free packs for £8 instead.
The next day, Trading Standards returned with a detection dog. Mr Singh, alone in the shop, made “no attempt to help officers” despite being told the visit’s purpose and asked about illegal goods’ locations. Officers seized 25 packs of duty-free cigarettes, seven large packs of hand-rolling tobacco, 33 oversized vapes, and six bottles of Smirnoff vodka owing duties. Tobacco was hidden in crisp boxes, behind food shelves, and in legal e-cigarette boxes; vodka was openly displayed. As detailed in Asian Trader, further raids found duty-free cigarettes and oversize vapes in crisp boxes, plus non-duty paid vodka from shelves.
In October 2025, Mr Singh admitted selling illegal cigarettes, blaming Mr Sachdeva, his “boss”, who sourced them from a visiting supplier at £5 per pack, resold for £8. Officers called Mr Sachdeva’s claim of buying a month prior “clearly a lie” due to the test purchase history.
What Risks Did Officers Highlight at the Hearing?
At the 20 January 2026 sub-committee hearing, H&F Trading Standards officer Ladan Mohamud stated there had been “a consistent and deliberate pattern of criminal behaviour” by Gajinder Singh Sachdeva and Kalyan Singh. She noted “cheap” tobacco makes it harder for smokers to quit, while illegal vapes heighten house fire risks, and urged revocation as illicit goods are “most likely distributed by organised crime groups”.
Ben Lynch of Fulham SW6 reported officers’ submission:
“More than being ‘just’ illegal, goods of this nature can be unsafe.”
Studies show cheap tobacco eases smoking uptake and hinders quitting; non-EU cigarettes lack self-extinguishing features, raising fire risks. Businesses cannot verify illicit products’ safety, and distribution ties to organised crime in serious activities, failing the “prevention of crime” objective.
Senior officer Doug Love told the sub-committee:
“I recommend full revocation [of the licence] as the business is not attempting to trade legally.”
He added seized goods typically come from “the back of vans or from iffy cash-and-carries”.
What Defence Did the Store Present?
Representing current licensee Kalyan Singh, Surendra Panchal told the committee the shop owner had “pulled his socks up” and requested a three-month suspension over revocation. He blamed past breaches on the previous holder and promised improved shop training.
This defence followed Mr Singh’s October 2025 admission of sales and earlier non-cooperation during the March 2025 raid, as per the council report cited by Ben Lynch.
When and How Was the Decision Made?
After a 20-minute discussion, the sub-committee revoked the licence under the 2003 Licensing Act to prevent crime and disorder, as announced at the Tuesday, 20 January 2026 hearing. Coverage by Asian Trader confirmed the Fulham shop’s alcohol sales ban due to undercover evidence of repeated non-duty paid vodka and cigarettes sales.
Fulham SW6’s pre-hearing article by Ben Lynch previewed the review, emphasising the council’s call for revocation amid unsafe goods and crime links. Hammersmith & Fulham Council’s site references the outcome, aligning with these reports.
Why Does This Matter for Local Businesses?
The case underscores Hammersmith & Fulham Council’s strict enforcement against illicit trading, with Trading Standards’ multi-year efforts yielding seizures and warnings ignored. Officers like Ladan Mohamud and Doug Love stressed public safety, from fire hazards to organised crime funding.
For Jo Jo Convenience Store, classified as a takeaway/sandwich shop in food ratings with a 31 January 2024 inspection, the revocation halts alcohol sales, potentially impacting operations at 58 Fulham High Street, SW6 3LQ. Local media like Fulham SW6 highlight repeated test sales from 2022-2025, setting a precedent for compliance.
