A Halesowen shop owner has been convicted for selling illegal vapes to children, following an investigation by Dudley Council’s Trading Standards team.
Muhammad Ahmed Umar, of Tyseley, Birmingham, was trading as AK Tech and Gadget Limited and operated ‘Top Mobile Repair and Vape Shop’ on Halesowen High Street.
After receiving multiple complaints about vapes being sold to school-aged children, Trading Standards officers carried out an inspection of the premises in June 2024.
Umar initially denied selling or possessing illegal oversized vapes. However, officers discovered approximately 3,000 oversized disposable vapes hidden throughout the shop, many of which were accessible to the public.
In February, a 16-year-old volunteer working undercover for Trading Standards entered the vape shop and was directed by Umar to another nearby premises, ‘Mr Wraps’. There, the child was sold a vape without being asked for any form of identification and a further inspection was then carried out.
Umar was interviewed under caution in April and admitted to possessing the illegal vapes found during the inspections.
The 40-year-old pleaded guilty to offences under the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations, the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations, and the Children and Families Act 2014.
He was sentenced to 160 hours of unpaid community service and ordered to pay £1,273 in costs and a £114 victim surcharge. AK Tech and Gadget Ltd, of which Umar is the director, was also fined £2,000 and ordered to pay £1,273 in costs and an £800 victim surcharge.
Councillor Phil Atkins, cabinet member for trading standards and environmental health, said: “This was a shocking case of someone blatantly ignoring laws designed to protect children from the harmful effects of nicotine products.
“Our Trading Standards team has once again shown that we will not tolerate illegal business practices. I hope this significant financial penalty serves as a clear warning to others — crime does not pay.”
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