New businesses have been registered at two mini-marts in Leicestershire that were recently shut down by council officers due to links to a convicted people smuggler. Blaby District Council secured a temporary emergency closure order for the premises, known as Candy Corner and Candy Corner 1, on 2 July, citing anti-social behaviour laws to prevent disorder and protect communities.
The shops, located on Lutterworth Road in Blaby, were previously investigated by the BBC, which traced Twana Jamal – described by French authorities as a significant figure in cross-Channel people smuggling – to the village. Reporters witnessed Jamal reportedly working illegally at the two stores. Jamal was sentenced to a five-year jail term in France in 2016 for his role in people smuggling, a period when freight lorries were the primary method for illegal crossings.
Just days after the council applied for the closure order, new firms were registered at the addresses over a weekend. These new companies, identified as MM Blaby Ltd and MM1 Blaby Ltd, are under the directorship of an Iraqi national. Workers were subsequently seen changing the signage at one of the shops to 'M&M Express Ltd', located next to the office of South Leicestershire MP Alberto Costa.
Despite the registration of new businesses and the change of signage, Blaby District Council confirmed that the temporary closure order applies to the premises themselves, not just the previous businesses. This order was extended by the court for a further 14 days and remains in effect until the next court hearing, scheduled for 20 July. Consequently, the shops are currently prevented from reopening.
Financial experts have highlighted that registering multiple companies at single addresses can be a 'red flag', according to Graham Barrow of the Dark Money Files blog. He noted that such shops often have short lifespans and are frequently connected by common directors, owners, and addresses, with several companies sometimes registered at the same location over time.
Leicestershire Police have also become involved, applying to the district council on Thursday for a review of the premises licence for the shop at 8A Lutterworth Road. Jamal, who is believed to be seeking asylum in the UK, denies any involvement in people smuggling or having been jailed in France, claiming to have been in the UK since 2009. However, he did not deny a picture of him in a French courtroom from 2016. UK law typically refuses asylum to individuals who have spent 12 months or more in prison overseas.