Croydon (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Croydon Council prosecutes two shop owners for selling illegal vapes, marking a successful trading standards crackdown on banned products in the borough.
Selling vapes without the required health warning, selling vapes manufactured outside of the UK without a UK contact address, and selling vapes with more than 2 milliliters of nicotine juice were the crimes in the two different cases.
Following a tip and a test transaction where an unlawful vape was sold, Mobile and Vape on Brigstock Road in Thornton Heath was searched in April of last year.
Following the seizure of 597 vapes, Mr. Azmi, the owner of Mobile and Vape, was ordered to pay £600 in fines, £240 in victim surcharges, and £500 towards the Croydon Council’s expenses.
During a routine inspection in July of last year, 859 illegal vapes were seized from the Phone and Vape Gallery on London Road in Norbury.
The director of the Phone and Vape Gallery, Mr. Singh, was ordered to pay £450 in fines, £180 in victim surcharges, and £500 to cover the costs of the Council. He expressed regret for the offenses and was certain that his currently available products were now in compliance.
Both guys were commended by the judge for their guilty pleas.
Jason Perry, Executive Mayor of Croydon said:
“Yet another successful prosecution by our award-winning trading standards team.
We have zero tolerance for these crimes and the team’s routine visits and intelligence-led raids are protecting residents from the potential harm these products can cause.”
What measures does Croydon Council use to identify illegal vape sellers?
The council’s trading standards team conducts test purchases using volunteer teenagers to check if shops sell vaping products to underage buyers. These operations help identify retailers illegally selling restricted products.
Trading standards officers undertake raids and inspections on shops suspected of selling illegal vapes or tobacco. These raids may include searching premises thoroughly, sometimes with search dogs, looking for hidden compartments and confiscating illicit products.
The council encourages residents to report shops suspected of selling illegal vaping products. Resident complaints can trigger formal investigations and enforcement actions.