A KINGSWOOD convenience store owner has been jailed for two months and ordered to pay £4,555.71 in fines and costs over illegal disposable e-cigarettes.
Jyar Limited and its sole director, Tahsin Jasem, 40, of Warmley, appeared at Bristol Magistrates’ Court for sentencing, having pleaded guilty in May to being in possession of 518 illegal e-cigarette devices for supply to consumers.
Jasem was sentenced to two months imprisonment, ordered to pay costs of £3109.71 and required to pay a £154 victim surcharge. His company, Jyar Limited received a £923 fine and was required to pay a £369 victim surcharge.
The court heard that Jasem operates a convenience store trading as International Store in Kingswood.
When South Gloucestershire Council’s Trading Standards team visited the premises they found devices labelled as containing up to eight times the 2 ml legal limit of nicotine e-liquid and a declared strength two and a half times the 20 mg/ml (2%) legal limit. A large quantity of illegal e-cigarettes were found concealed below the floorboards. The products were seized and a prosecution case progressed.
Anyone who suspects they may have been sold, or is aware of a business supplying non-compliant disposable e-cigarettes is urged to report it to Trading Standards via the Citizens Advice Consumer Service www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/ or on 0808 223 1133, or by reporting it anonymously to Trading Standards South West at www.tssw.org.uk/work-areas/report-it/