Council crackdown on illegal vapes continues

Cheshire West and Chester Council carried out its largest illegal vape operation earlier this week.

Public Protection officers, a sniffer dog team from Wag Tails and Cheshire Police visited five premises in Ellesmere Port and seized 77,140 cigarettes, 6.15kg of hand rolled tobacco and 1,963 vapes and one person was subsequently arrested

Also two business have been prosecuted for illegal tobacco and cigarette offences following investigations by the Council.

The first case relates to Easy Shop in Ellesmere Port and was heard at West Cheshire Magistrates Court on 9 October 2024.

Hersh Mammand (41) owner of the business trading as ‘Easy Shop’ at 17 Whitby Road, Ellesmere Port received a fine of £2,218 (including £1,244 costs).

On 8 March 2023, officers from Trading Standards and Cheshire Police made an unannounced inspection at the shop.  A search of the premises revealed counterfeit cigarettes, grey market cigarettes (without English health warnings) and illegal electronic cigarettes, which were seized.

Grey market cigarettes are genuine cigarettes produced by a legitimate manufacturer but for consumption in a particular jurisdiction. The cigarettes seized where not for sale in the UK and are not labelled in English Therefore they contravene health safety regulations as the health warning is not in English and therefore unreadable to a majority of people.

On 18 October 2023, a further visit to the shop was carried out to check whether sales of e-cigarettes to children were happening.  A 14-year old child volunteer accompanied Trading Standards and was sold a ‘watermelon’ e-cigarette by the male shop assistant.  No identification or proof of age was asked for.

An inspection of the shop then revealed illegal vapes with nicotine liquid in excess of up to nine time the legal limit of 2ml of nicotine liquid.

The second case related H Food Plus Ltd in Boughton, Chester, using the trading name of ‘Grosik Polski Sklep’.

At Chester Magistrates Court at the same session, Hamin Latif Rashed (30), sole director of H Foods Plus Limited was fined a total of £1,820 (£888 costs, £666 fine, £266 surcharge).

On 22 November 2022, Trading Standards officers, along with officers from HMRC made an unannounced inspection.  A sniffer dog was able to indicate a hidden panel, which when removed revealed 121 e-cigarettes.  106 of them contained nicotine liquid in excess of the legal limit of 2ml.

Councillor Christine Warner, Cabinet Member for Homes, Planning and Safer Communities said:

“All businesses should be aware that it is their responsibility to ensure compliance with relevant legislation and non-compliance could result in stock being seized and destroyed, and, as in this case, prosecution.

“Illegal tobacco supports other criminal activity and has many damaging effects on our local communities, as well as causing poor health.  People may be tempted by the cheap price tag, but it's worth considering the great cost to your health, safety and community.”

For help and support to quit smoking visit: 

Home - Cheshire Change Hub

email:

hello@cheshirechangehub.org

or call:

0300 777 0033

All goods seized as part of these cases were non-compliant with the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations Act 2016.