Geek Bar has appointed a leading figure in the UK vaping industry to spearhead efforts to crack down on counterfeit and non-compliant products.
Billy Rahman, managing director at vape manufacturer iBreathe, is acting as a consultant for Geek Bar and is leading efforts to stem the flow of illegal vape products in a campaign that has already resulted in the seizure of thousands of pounds worth of items around the UK.
Rahman has established a primary authority arrangement with his local council, Oldham in Greater Manchester, in which trading standards officers there will co-ordinate operations with their counterparts around the country.
He is also working alongside compliance company Arcus Compliance, which represents some of the largest brands in the vaping industry, to ensure that all classification, labelling and packaging requirements for Geek Bar products being sold around the UK are met.
Trading standards officers recently carried out the biggest single raid so far in the UK, seizing non-compliant disposable vaping products – those which may meet standards in other countries but fail to do so in the UK – worth around £190,000 from a former takeaway premises in Newcastle.
Items have also been seized in raids in recent weeks in Aberdeen, North Lanarkshire, South Ayrshire, Stockton, Halton, Walsall, Cherwell in Oxfordshire, Cheltenham, Cirencester, and Kent.
Rahman said: “Working with Oldham as the primary authority, this partnership has already produced results, with the confiscation of numerous illegal products in North Lanarkshire. Meanwhile, we have also identified several counterfeit re-sellers operating in Southall in west London, and in parts of Manchester.
“The popularity of Geek Bar’s products means that unfortunately, some people are willing to take illegal steps to get them to market. However, through this partnership we are working hard to ensure that counterfeit re-sellers are properly policed – and sending out the message that it is only a matter of time before these operators are identified, and that ultimately this kind of activity can lead to a prison sentence.”
Geek Bar has created a list of approved distributors, published on its website, and the company is incentivising retailers to report counterfeits or products that do not comply with UK regulations. Retailers can report suspected counterfeit and non-compliant products at legal@geekbar.com.
