Charged with Selling Cigarettes on Streets
Central Division Police yesterday began what they called a “crackdown” on illegal cigarette vending in the Chaguanas borough. During an exercise, led by Senior Supt Edward Castillo, of the Central Division, two vendors were arrested by officers along the Chaguanas Main Road for contravening the Tobacco Control Act 2009. Police said a 44-year-old man, of Cashew Gardens, and a 33-year-old woman, of California, were arrested and charged under Section 15.1 of the act which prohibits the display of cigarettes for sale in T&T.
They are expected to appear before a Chaguanas magistrate later today. Meanwhile, a 32-year-old Chaguanas resident was fined $2,500 on Wednesday after pleading guilty to the offence before Magistrate Gillian David-Scotland in the Chaguanas First Magistrate’s Court.
The vendor was arrested in a similar exercise on Tuesday afternoon. Under the legislation, which police sources said was rarely enforced, a person found guilty of the offence faces a maximum fine of $10,000 or up to six months in prison. Police said similar exercises would be conducted in the future to help curtail the illegal sale of cigarettes by street vendors in the borough.
About The Author
Comments