Business hit with £13,000 fine and costs for sale and supply of illicit tobacco and vapes

A business has been ordered to pay nearly £13,000 of fines and costs for the sale and supply of illicit tobacco and e-cigarettes.

Caernarfon Magistrates Court heard that undercover officers working with Cyngor Gwynedd’s Trading Standards Unit carried out a test purchase at Supercigs Convenience Store on Stryd y Llyn, Caernarfon on 26 September 2023, which resulted in the shop selling illegal tobacco product to the officer.

A visit to the shop later the same day resulted in a seizure by Trading Standards officers of 225 packets of illicit cigarettes, 63 pouches of illicit hand rolling tobacco, 519 unauthorised disposable vapes and nicotine salts and 20 unauthorised branded PRIME squishes.

The haul resulted in five charges being brought against Supercigs Convenience Store Ltd.

Mr Idres Khder, the sole director of the company appeared in Court on behalf of the business and pleaded guilty to all five of the charges.

He faced three charges under the Trade Marks Act 1994, one charge of Fraudulent Trading under the Companies Act 2006, and a further charge under the Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products Regulations 2019.

Caernarfon Magistrates fined Supercigs a total of £9,062.20. The business was also ordered to pay costs of £1,751.48 to the Council, and a £2,000 victim surcharge, amounting to a total of £12,813.68.

The Court also ordered the destruction of all the seized goods.

Responsibility

Councillor Dafydd Meurig, Cyngor Gwynedd’s Cabinet Member for the Environment said: “Our Trading Standards officers work hard to ensure that the public can be confident in the goods they purchase from the county’s shops and businesses.

“This case shows that we take that responsibility seriously, and I’m pleased to see a successful trading standards prosecution in relation to the sale and supply of illicit tobacco and e-cigarettes. The sentencing reflects the seriousness of these offences.

“Trade in illicit tobacco and e-cigarettes supports crime, damages legitimate businesses, undermines public health and facilitates the supply of tobacco and e-cigarettes to young people.

“Public protection is a priority, and the Council will always take enforcement action where necessary to help keep our local communities safe as well as to support local businesses that comply with the law.”

Anyone who has information about the sale of illicit goods in Gwynedd are urged to contact Cyngor Gwynedd’s Trading Standards team by e-mailing [email protected] or telephone 01766 771000.