A convenience store in Llanrumney has been sentenced at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court on 3 July after repeatedly selling illegal vapes and tobacco products following a series of investigations by Shared Regulatory Services.
Aydin Ltd, trading as Mini Mart Store, on Countisbury Avenue, Llanrumney, was prosecuted after Trading Standards officers uncovered the sale of illegal vaping products and counterfeit tobacco from the store on multiple occasions.
The investigations revealed that the store was selling vapes with tank sizes that exceeded legal limits, as well as counterfeit and incorrectly labelled tobacco products.
Aydin Ltd and its director, Rostam Ahmed, pleaded guilty to a total of 16 offences relating to the sale of illegal vapes and tobacco.
Aydin Ltd was fined £16,000, ordered to pay £4,600 in costs, and a £2,000 victim surcharge. Rostam Ahmed received a 12-month community order, including 10 days of rehabilitation activity, alongside a £500 fine, £100 in costs, and a £114 victim surcharge.
All seized products were forfeited by the court and will now be destroyed. The business had previously been made subject to a closure order under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 because of the scale and seriousness of the offending.
Cllr Ed Stubbs, Cabinet Member responsible for Shared Regulatory Services at Cardiff Council, said: “The sale of illegal tobacco and vapes is of great concern. It impacts the health of residents in Cardiff and damages the wider economy.
“Legitimate businesses are affected as customers buy illegal products instead, and the availability of these products removes incentives for people to quit smoking.
“Robust action will be taken by Trading Standards against businesses that continually flout the law, and it is encouraging to see that the court’s sentencing reflects the seriousness of this illegal activity.”
Shared Regulatory Services will continue to work with partner agencies to tackle the sale of illegal tobacco and vaping products, protect consumers, and support legitimate businesses that operate within the law.