A shop owner from Nottinghamshire has been found guilty and fined for possessing and intending to sell thousands of pounds’ worth of illicit vapes from Bucharest Mini Market, 103 Outram Street, Sutton-in-Ashfield.
Mr Alan Aliamin, aged 38, of Sutton-in-Ashfield, pleaded guilty at Mansfield Magistrates’ Court on 6 February 2025, following an investigation by Nottinghamshire County Council Trading Standards. Mr Aliamin, who is the director of Joshua Foods Limited, was fined £4,000, with £1,715 prosecution costs and a £1,600 victim surcharge.
When Nottinghamshire Trading Standards officers first visited Bucharest Mini Market in July 2024, they discovered and seized 99 illicit vapes, with an estimated retail value of £1,000. In August 2024, officers returned to the retail premises to carry out further inspections and found a substantial number of illicit vapes hidden behind the shop counter, seizing a total of 1,145 vapes, estimated to be worth £12,500.
The vapes were brand new, packaged, and ready to be sold from the premises. However, the labelling on the vapes was not compliant with legislation, as it did not include the wording: ‘This product contains nicotine, which is a highly addictive substance.’ It is also a legal requirement for labels to be included on the front and rear of vapes and to cover 30% of the surface area, which was not the case with the vapes that were seized. Legal vapes are also limited to a tank size of 2ml to ensure users do not inhale an excessive amount of nicotine. All the vapes that were seized had tank sizes in excess of the legal limit.
Councillor Gordon Wheeler, Deputy Cabinet Member for Communities and Public Health at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “Illicit vapes have no place in our community, and this latest sentencing shows that we will not tolerate the sale of these dangerous and harmful goods in Nottinghamshire. We stand firm in our commitment to protect public health and safety, and our officers will continue to crack down on those unscrupulous traders who are attempting to sell counterfeit goods in the county.”
If residents see any tobacco products or vapes being sold to people who they believe are under 18, or if they believe a business is selling unregulated products, they can report this to Trading Standards by contacting the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133.
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