A Solihull shop director has been fined after illegal vapes were discovered during a council raid
Solihull: The director of a vape shop in Solihull has found himself in hot water. He was prosecuted after a council raid uncovered hundreds of illegal disposable vapes. Can you believe they seized 472 of them? Turns out, many were over the legal tank size limit.
But that’s not all. Some of these vapes claimed to be nicotine-free, yet they actually contained nicotine. The raid happened at Vapourmist Ltd on Warwick Road, Olton, which is quite a popular spot.
Mr. Abdul Qadar, who lives on Edgbaston Road in Birmingham, was found guilty along with his business. The case was handled by Solihull Council at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court. They were fined a hefty £9,000, but it got knocked down to £6,000 since he pleaded guilty early. On top of that, he had to pay costs and a victim surcharge, bringing the total to £11,100.
He also got a conditional discharge for a year and has to pay a small victim surcharge in the next two weeks. This all started with an inspection by the Trading Standards Team about a year ago.
According to a spokesperson from Solihull Council, the team found those 472 vapes that were over the legal limit. Plus, 65 of them had nicotine, even though the packaging said otherwise. That’s pretty misleading, right?
Cllr Wazma Qais, a cabinet member for communities, expressed concern about how selling these illegal vapes can attract kids and promote early vaping. She emphasized that businesses breaking the law could face serious consequences, including fines and jail time.
She also thanked the Trading Standards team for their hard work in making sure local businesses follow the rules. Thanks to a resident’s complaint and the team’s efforts, these harmful products won’t be on the shelves anymore.
