A Gloucester shop owner has been ordered to pay more than £5,000 after being found guilty of selling illegal disposable vapes.
Jamal Safarkhani, 47, of Park End Road, faced trial at Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court on 3 August, accused of supplying vapes that exceeded legal nicotine limits. He owned the One Stop Shop in Southgate Street, where the offences occurred.
Mr Safarkhani was convicted on four charges relating to the possession, sale and supply of electronic cigarettes containing nicotine liquid beyond the legal limits set by the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016. These regulations cap the amount of nicotine-containing liquid in disposable vapes at 2ml, aiming to ensure consumer safety and minimise harm, particularly to children and young people.
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The court ordered Mr Safarkhani to pay £307 for each charge, a victim surcharge of £491, and costs amounting to £3,693, making the total penalty £5,412.
The charges stemmed from a Trading Standards investigation conducted from May to November 2024. On 30 May 2024, an officer purchased a Hayati Pro Ultra 15,000+ puff vape from the shop, which contained two 12ml oil tanks, far exceeding the legal limit.
Subsequent inspections led to the seizure of 103 illegal electronic cigarettes on 6 June, 41 on 2 October, and 120 on 1 November, totalling 264 illegal vapes seized alongside the one bought during the test purchase.
“Illegal vapes are not a harmless breach of the rules,” said Cllr Paul Hodgkinson, Gloucestershire County Council’s Cabinet member responsible for Trading Standards. “The legal limits exist to protect consumers and to help prevent products with excessive nicotine-containing liquid being sold in our communities.”
He added that the regulations support the Government’s message to break addiction to nicotine-containing products and that Trading Standards officers will continue to act against non-compliance by businesses.
This case highlights the ongoing efforts to enforce tobacco and vaping product laws to safeguard public health in Gloucestershire.