Councillors have suspended the licence of a convenience store in Mansfield after it was found to be selling illegal vapes and tobacco for the second time.
Nottinghamshire County Council Trading Standards requested a licence review for Balbinka Mini Market in Skerry Hill after its officers carried out two separate raids on 11 March 2025 and the 2 October 2025 and seized illicit tobacco products and non-compliant vapes on both occasions.
At a hearing of Mansfield District Council Licensing Panel on Monday (17 November), councillors agreed to suspend the licence of Mr Akram Mohammed Ali, of Upperton Road, Leicester, for one month.
This will prevent him from being able to sell alcohol until 18 December 2025. He will, however, still be able to sell tobacco products and vapes as a licence to sell these products is not yet required.
Cllr Angie Jackson, Portfolio Holder for Wellbeing, Health and Safer Communities, said: “The laws on vapes were changed for good reason – to protect the public from harm so we take these kinds of violations seriously.
“Whilst we recognise that we are powerless, at the moment, to stop outlets who break the rules from selling tobacco and vapes, this is set to change. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill is due to become law next year and will require all shops selling these products to have a licence.
“Obviously, when shops apply for one, having previously been found to be selling illicit products may have a bearing on whether or not a licence is granted, so retailers need to watch their step if they want to continue to trade in these products.
“These products could contain dangerous levels of nicotine and other harmful substances, with a risk of long-term addiction, particularly among children, who are more vulnerable to the harmful effects of nicotine.
“Similarly, illicit unregulated tobacco products can also present an increased danger to the public through higher nicotine levels and can present a fire risk because they may not self-extinguish if unattended like regulated tobacco.”
Councillor Dawn Justice, Cabinet Member for Communities and Public Health at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: "Illicit tobacco and vapes have no place in our community and 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."
It is illegal to sell vaping products - even nicotine-free vapes - to anyone under 18. It is also illegal for adults to purchase them on behalf of someone under 18. Retailers who sell vapes are responsible for carrying out checks on younger customers to ensure they are over 18.
If you know of any retailers selling illicit products, report them to Nottinghamshire Trading Standards by contacting the Citizen’s Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133.
How to spot if a vape is compliant with current rules
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Size: Disposable vapes cannot have more than a 2ml e-liquid capacity. They should be limited to about 600 puffs; those claiming to have significantly more are probably illegal.
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Single use: Single use vapes have been banned from sale since June this year.
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Strength: Legal products are limited to a nicotine strength of 20mg/ml (2%). An illegal product might show a higher strength such as 5%.
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Labelling: Illicit vapes may lack essential health warnings, manufacturer details, or proper nicotine warnings on the packaging.
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Packaging: Unregulated products often fail to have child-resistant and tamper-evident packaging.
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Ingredients: Prohibited vapes may contain banned substances like caffeine and taurine.
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Fake brands: Counterfeit vape brands are usually cheaper and do not meet UK standards.
The consequences of retailers who sell unregulated products
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Organised crime: The trade can be a front for national and international criminal gangs involved in drug dealing, money laundering, child exploitation, and even terrorism.
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Public health: The low prices of illegal tobacco make it easier for children and young people to start smoking and become addicted and harder for current smokers to quit.
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Damage to other businesses: Law-abiding retailers who sell legal tobacco are undercut by those selling cheap often illegal products, creating an unfair advantage.
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Loss of tax revenue: The trade costs taxpayers billions of pounds [£2.8 billion in the UK in 2021-2022] each year in lost tax revenue, money that would otherwise fund public services, including the NHS.