Muscat – The Consumer Protection Authority (CPA) in cooperation with the Royal Oman police has arrested five expatriates for trading and selling chewing tobacco in Barka and Seeb.

CPA stated that the Consumer Protection Department in Soth Batinah and Muscat governorates recently arrested five expatriate workers ‘who traded and sold non-smoking, chewing tobacco to consumers’.

CPA added that 8,795 bags of chewing tobacco and packs of banned cigarettes were seized from the two locations.

‘This is a violation of decision No301/2016 and its amendments regarding the ban on trading chewing tobacco in any form and under any name,’ a CPA statement said.

The authority affirmed that it spares no effort in following up and monitoring the markets. ‘CPA will control everything that may harm the health and safety of consumers or is against consumers’ rights,’ the statement said, appealing to consumers to report any abuses they may notice in the market through the authority’s various communication channels.