An Auckland businessman is attempting to take over a bottle store in Manurewa where illegal drugs were allegedly sold.
By Torika Tokalau of Local Democracy Reporting
Police, however, want the bottle store shut down after two of its current owners and their son were charged with selling Kamini – a traditional Indian herbal medicine that contains opium.
The supply, importation or possession of Kamini without a prescription is prohibited in New Zealand. It is classified as a Class B controlled drug, making it illegal to import, sell, supply, possess or consume.
Gaurav Singh, sole director of Gaurav Limited, faced the District Licensing Committee on Monday to apply for temporary authority for Thirsty Liquor Manurewa.
If granted, it would allow him to keep the business trading under its current off-licence while he completed the purchase of the bottle store.
Singh said he did not want the current owners involved in the business and he was initially not aware of criminal activity.
According to hearing documents, Alcohol Licensing Inspector Derek Haddy said the current owners of Thirsty Liquor Manurewa had pleaded guilty to selling opium in the bottle store, and were awaiting sentencing this month.
Sergeant Douglas Raymond Greaney of Manukau police told the committee the temporary authority application before them was because of extraordinary and highly concerning circumstances.
Police objected to a temporary authority on the grounds that the bottle store was too close to a primary school and was in a vulnerable area that had ongoing issues of intoxication and disorder.
Greaney said police data demonstrated significant levels of alcohol-related harm in the area immediately surrounding the premises.
“The significance of that evidence is not simply that alcohol-related harm exists, it is that the premises are situated within a community already experiencing substantial alcohol-related offending.”
In September, police submitted an application to the Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority to cancel Thirsty Liquor’s current off-licence and manager certificates.
That hearing was scheduled for November.
“Police submit allegations of drug dealing from within the licensed premises represent one of the most serious departures from the responsibilities imaginable.”
Greaney said granting a temporary authority in those circumstances risked undermining the integrity of the licensing regime.
“The risk creating the perception that serious misconduct can be avoided by transferring business before regulatory proceedings are concluded.”
No knowledge of criminal activities
In his evidence, Singh said an alcohol temporary authority would allow him to trade for three months under the current off-licence while he applied for a permanent liquor licence.
When questioned by the committee, he said he had no relation to the current owner but was friends with their son who he met at a training a few years ago.
He said he had no knowledge of criminal activities until he was informed by their son, during a discussion about the sale of the business.
Concerns about the level of access the current owners would have to the business, if he was granted temporary authority, were raised by the committee.
Singh said he had already told the current owners that he did not want them involved with his business at all.
His lawyer, Andrew Braggins, told the committee his client was aware of strong police opposition and their application to remove the off-licence, but was willing to take the risk.
“He wishes to take those steps and push on with an off-licence application and show the community that he can be a good operator and address those issues,” Braggins said.
“There is a real risk that a new licence won’t be granted, Mr Singh wants to own the store and operate within the community and he believes that he can operate this one well.”
Singh, who also owned a bottle store in Mt Wellington and was born and raised in Manurewa, said he was willing to close his shop after school, and re-open at 3.30pm to minimise the impact of a liquor store to school students.
“I know the area and the people, and I care about it,” he stated.
“I want to run the store properly and responsibly, the same way I run my store in Mount Richmond.”
– Local Democracy Reporting is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
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