Prolific thief banned from Canterbury city centre and multiple retailers

A Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) has been issued to a persistent shoplifter banning him from Canterbury city centre and multiple east Kent retailers for four years.

Ali Mirzai, 31, previously pleaded guilty to charges relating to 22 reports of theft from businesses in Ashford, Canterbury and Dover between June 2025 and May 2026.

Retailers targeted

Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Aldi were amongst those targeted, along with Boots, B&M and New Look – from where the offender stole goods ranging from gin to trainers to a hand-held vacuum cleaner and laser hair removal device.

Officers applied for the CBO after securing charges against Mirzai on 5 May 2026, relating to the theft of whisky and wine from Canterbury supermarkets two days earlier.

Court order secured

Mirzai admitted to the thefts, and to stealing rum from Marks and Spencer in Dover during the same period. On 1 October, he was sentenced at Medway Magistrates’ Court to 28 days’ imprisonment and was later issued the CBO.

The court order, which came into effect on 6 October, prohibits the offender from entering Canterbury city centre, including Waitrose, Aldi, Morrisons and B&M. He is neither permitted to go to B&M or New Look in Ashford, or the Tesco store in Willesborough. In Dover, he must stay away from B&M, M&S and Peacocks stores.

Mirzai must also refrain from antisocial behaviour, and from inciting others to behave in an antisocial manner.

A breach of the CBO constitutes a criminal offence, meaning Mirzai could be re-sentenced at court and return to prison should he not comply with the order.

PC Chris Green said: ‘The actions of persistent shoplifters and antisocial behaviour offenders such as Mirzai significantly impact businesses, retail staff and the wider communities that they serve. The Criminal Behaviour Order provides us with an additional tool to protect those affected by retail crime and nuisance behaviour, imposing restrictions to prevent further offending, and to make our towns and city safer places to visit and in which to live and work. ‘This case demonstrates the tenacity of our investigators, who worked hard to secure the CBO against Mirzai, and we will continue to work closely with retailers to target those responsible for repeat offending and bring them before the courts.’