GVH launched a probe into two Slovak companies last summer and found that Bensons Europe had wrongly suggested to consumers that sales of the vaping products from its Hungarian-language webshop were legal.

GVH noted in its statement that remote sales of vaping products are illegal in Hungary.

Bensons Europe was one of two Slovakian companies scrutinised by GVH for selling Elf Bar vaping products. It fined the other business, Yzer, 68 million forints late last year. GVH said Elf Bar vaping products are “especially harmful” because of their popularity with young people.

The statement quoted the president of the Hungarian tax authority (NAV) as saying that NAV rigorously inspected the illegal trade of Elf Bar.

“As a result, illicit products worth over 160 million forints have been seized and fines worth 20 million forints have been levied,” said Ferenc Vágujhelyi.