NEWS
6 ASIAN TRADER 27 JUNE 2025
Five family members
involved in an elaborate
staged armed robbery at a
Post Office branch in
Hounslow have been
sentenced to a combined
total of more than 17 years in
prison.
The Met’s Flying Squad
uncovered the conspiracy
after the lead perpetrator,
Rajvinder Kahlon, cut
himself on a metal fence
whilst fleeing the scene,
leaving crucial DNA evidence
that unravelled the entire
plot.
Sukhvir Dhillon, 38, who
owned the Post Office branch
and the store it was attached to
on Brabazon Road, was
sentenced to five years’
imprisonment as the ringleader
of the scheme. His cousin
Rajvinder Kahlon, 43, who
carried out the fake robbery,
received four-and-a-half years.
Sunaver Dhillon, 68, the
sub-postmistress and mother of
Sukhvir Dhillon, was sentenced
to three years and one month,
whilst Ramandeep Dhillon, 40,
Sukhvir’s wife, received two
years and five months.
Another family member,
Mandeep Gill, 45, was sen
tenced to two years and four
months after being found guilty
of conspiracy to pervert the
course of justice and
conspiracy to money-laun
der.
The fraud came to light on
1 April 2024 when police
responded to reports of an
armed robbery at approxi
mately 6:30 pm. Two women
working at the branch, later
revealed to be family
members involved in the
conspiracy, told officers they
had been threatened by a
gunman who stole £50,000
along with the branch’s
CCTV system.
However, a subsequent Post
Office audit revealed the
amount missing was around
£136,000, significantly more
than initially reported.
Analysis of phone records
revealed regular contact
between Kahlon and Sukhvir
Dhillon in the lead-up to the
incident.
Plan busted by cops finding DNA left at scene, phone records
Family jailed for staging armed
Family jailed for staging armed
robbery at own post office
robbery at own post office
The government said
it will scrap border
checks on fruit and
veg imported from
the European Union
in an early move to
ease trade ahead of its
new SPS (sanitary and
phytosanitary) deal
with the EU.
This means that
checks on medi
um-risk fruit and vegeta
bles (including tomatoes,
grapes, plums, cherries,
peaches, peppers, and
more) imported from the
EU will not be required –
and will therefore not be
brought into force this
summer.
In the short term,
businesses can continue
importing medium-risk
fruit and vegetables from
the EU without the prod
ucts being subject to import
checks or associated fees.
“This government’s EU
deal will make food cheaper,
slash bureaucracy and
remove cumbersome border
controls for business
es,” biosecurity
minister Baroness
Hayman said. “A
strengthened,
forward-looking part
nership with the
European Union will
deliver for working
people as part of our
Plan for Change.”
The easement was
introduced during the
implementation of the new
BTOM import controls in
2024, as a temporary
measure to provide busi
nesses time to prepare for
their implementation and
ensure a smooth flow of
essential goods across the
UK border.
Border checks on EU fruit and
veg scrapped ahead of new deal
M&S to open 12 new
M&S to open 12 new
Food stores
Food stores
The chain announced investment in
12 brand new food stores, some with
over 20,000 sq ft of trading space,
on former Homebase sites across
England, creating over 550 new
jobs.
The retailer termed the
development as a “significant step
forward” in its store rotation and
renewal programme, and a “key
strand” in the business’s transfor
mation as it reshapes for growth.
M&S aims to create 420 bigger,
fresher Food stores and a more
productive group of 180 full line
stores, with half in the renewal
format by 2027/28.
Appleby Westward
Appleby Westward
Group to be sold
Group to be sold
South Africa’s SPAR Group is said to
be considering selling its UK
business, Appleby Westward Group
(AWG), to an unnamed, UK-based
buyer with strong regional
experience in the South-West.
AWG, which services SPAR
stores in South-West England,
contributes £250m to the group’s
turnover.
The potential buyer, which SPAR
did not name, was “well positioned
to develop and grow AWG in
South-West England,” it said.
The group, which owns several
country licences of the Dutch SPAR
group, has been trimming its
international operations to
“maximize return on capital
allocated”.
Co-op, Royal Mail roll
Co-op, Royal Mail roll
out parcel lockers
out parcel lockers
Co-op and Royal Mail have signed a
partnership to roll out parcel lockers
at the convenience retailer’s stores.
The first ones will launch in summer,
with plans for lockers at 100 stores.
The lockers will allow people to
drop off pre-labelled Royal Mail
parcels and returns 24/7. Collection
will also be available at the lockers
soon.
The lockers provide label
printing, meaning customers only
pay for postage online and print the
label by scanning a QR code at the
locker, or request a QR code for
returns.