Shopkeeper who sold vapes to children avoids jail after judge hears of 'exemplary' Army record
A failing businessman who repeatedly sold dangerous vapes to children despite being warned by trading standards officers avoided jail due to his record serving King and Country.
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Former rifleman Karamjot Singh ran two shops in Dudley after being forced to leave the life he loved in the Army due to "familial pressures" and within months started selling illegal vapes "under the counter". However, throughout 2022 he was found to be selling illegal vapes to children.
Caught red-handed by Dudley Council trading standards officers, Singh received a warning about the dangers of selling illegal vapes, however, they did not realise he owned another shop which had been doing the exact same crime.
When The Liquor Well, in Wren's Nest, and The Dudley Drinks Stop, in Wolverhampton Street, were raided, more than 400 illegal vapes were found hidden under the counter, stuffed in waste bins and even crammed into a toilet.
Singh was selling illegal vapes which had more than the safe amount of nicotine and contained 3,500 puffs instead of the 600 puffs.
Selling them for £8 each, whilst his shops were failing to make a profit, Singh continued after being prosecuted for selling an illegal e-cigarette to a 15-year-old as a £200 fine he received at Dudley Magistrates Court did not act as a deterrent.
On September 23, 2022, trading standards officers confiscated 361 vapes during a spot check. The following month, on October 27, a further 44 were found at the premises in Oak Park Road during a sting operation to crackdown on underage booze and vape sales.
