Azad Mohammed Hamad and the company Ranya GL1 Ltd, trading as Red Power Shop in Southgate Street, Gloucester, have been sentenced following the discovery of hundreds of illegal disposable vapes stored in a concealed room within the shop.
The pair appeared at Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court on Monday, having previously admitted to multiple offences under the Tobacco & Related Products Regulations 2016.
Hamad, aged 29, received a suspended prison sentence of four months for each of the nine charges, to run concurrently, along with a curfew from 10pm to 6am enforced by an electronic tag. Additionally, he was disqualified from acting as a company director for two years and ordered to pay £2,500 towards council costs and a £154 victim surcharge.
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Ranya GL1 Ltd was fined a total of £4,000 and required to pay a £1,600 victim surcharge. The court also mandated the destruction of all seized vapes and electronic cigarettes.
The investigation began after a Gloucestershire County Council Trading Standards officer made a test purchase of an illegal oversized vape from the shop on 24 January 2025. A warning letter was subsequently delivered to the business, but subsequent test purchases revealed continued sales of unlawful products.
An inspection carried out on 27 February 2025 uncovered paper flavour lists hidden beneath the counter and a concealed room located behind a doorway in the shop’s toilet area. Access to this hidden space was controlled by remote-operated magnetic locks, and it contained shelves stocked with disposable vapes.
During this visit, 455 illegal devices were seized. Despite this, further test purchases were made, leading to additional inspections on 11 and 13 March 2025, during which a further 135 illegal vapes were confiscated.
In total, Trading Standards officers seized 590 illegal disposable vapes and purchased six illegal products through test buys. These products violated legal standards by exceeding the maximum permitted capacity of 2ml of nicotine-containing liquid, with packaging indicating volumes of 10ml, 12ml, and 18ml.
Cllr Paul Hodgkinson, cabinet member responsible for Trading Standards at Gloucestershire County Council, commented: “This case involved persistent breaches and a substantial quantity of illegal products concealed in a hidden room. Illegal oversized vapes bypass regulatory safeguards designed to control nicotine products and create unfair competition for compliant traders. Our officers will maintain firm action against businesses that flout the law and endanger consumers.”