A business in Margate has been forced to shut its doors after a joint operation revealed a pattern of illegal tobacco sales and a blatant disregard for court-ordered sanctions. Maman House, located on Northdown Road, was initially targeted during a visit in November 2025, where authorities discovered a massive cache of illicit products.
Investigators estimated that the cash-only enterprise was generating between £4,000 and £5,000 weekly from these unauthorized sales but the situation escalated when the business owner ignored formal warnings from Kent Police, leading to a legal showdown at Margate Magistrates’ Court on 15 January 2026 when a judge initially granted a two-month closure order, which legally barred the owner from the premises and halted all trading. However, the owner allegedly attempted to bypass this restriction by operating a delivery service. Police intercepted him twice in a single week, discovering more illicit tobacco and cash during searches of his person and vehicle.
In response to this continued defiance, the case returned to court on Monday 16 March. After reviewing evidence of the owner’s attempts to maintain the illegal trade, the judge imposed a further three-month closure order. The shop is now legally required to remain closed until 16 June 2026.
Police Constable Glenn Castle said:
‘Legitimate businesses in Margate lose trade to establishments like this, and the risks associated with consuming this illegal tobacco are very serious. ‘We will continue working with partners such as Trading Standards to take action against illegal businesses, and protect our communities.’
James Whiddett, Operations Manager for Kent Trading Standards said:
‘By working together with Kent Police and the local Community Safety Unit, we can focus our resources to protect Kent residents and remove illegal product from sale. We will continue to support partnership work like this as it enables us to tackle crime on our local high streets.’