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Nine Swansea vape shops shut down in major crackdown on illegal sales

Three‑day operation across the city

The closures followed a three‑day enforcement operation led by Swansea Council’s Trading Standards team, supported by South Wales Police, HMRC, Home Office Immigration officers and specialist tobacco sniffer dogs.

Codenamed Operation Ceecee & Marvel, the crackdown targeted 14 shops across the city where earlier test purchases had already confirmed the sale of illicit products.

By the end of the week, nine premises had been shut down, 11 people arrested, and five vehicles linked to the trade seized.

Raids reveal hidden stashes

Among the shops raided was Bob Marley Vapes on St Helen’s Road, whose registered owner was jailed earlier this year for dealing in £100,000 worth of black‑market cigarettes and vapes. Despite that, the store had continued trading.

When officers returned last week, they found rucksacks and bags stuffed with illegal disposable vapes hidden in back rooms. Other shops were found to be using “stash cars” to store contraband, with one vehicle also containing cannabis products.

Shops closed during the operation included:

Bob Marley Vapes, Asia Vapes and Kubus Vapes (St Helen’s Road)
World of Vapes (Pontarddulais)
Crystal Vapes (Gorseinon)
Morriston Mini Market and Monsoon Vapes (Morriston)
Snoop Vapes and Bob CBD Vapes (city centre)

Thousands of products seized

In total, officers confiscated:

971 packs of cigarettes (counterfeit value £4,855; retail value £15,000)
970 packets of hand‑rolling tobacco (counterfeit value £19,500; retail value £39,000)
2,292 vapes (estimated value £23,000)

All seized products will now be destroyed. Two of the shops have already been ordered by magistrates to remain closed for up to three months, with further hearings due next week.

Council: “Strong message to businesses”

Councillor Andrew Williams, Cabinet Member for Corporate Services (Performance), said:

“Our Trading Standards Team has made this issue a priority and has been able to gather large amounts of intelligence in terms of which shops in the city have previously been selling illegal goods to consumers, including children.
The latest operation has been very successful in our efforts to disrupt this type of trade and hopefully it will send out a very strong message to other businesses in the city — that they have a duty to ensure they are trading legally and not putting consumers at risk.”

Police: “Dangerous and linked to organised crime”

Inspector Andrew Hedley of South Wales Police added:

“Counterfeit tobacco and vapes are not only illegal, but they are incredibly dangerous for those who use them. Counterfeit cigarettes are unregulated, dangerous and fund serious organised crime. The vapes seized do not comply with UK safety standards and can pose a risk to consumers’ health.
These businesses were all given warnings to stop selling these items but disregarded them. They will now face prosecution for various offences as a result.”

Community impact

The raids drew crowds on St Helen’s Road, where locals watched as officers carried out searches and seized goods. For residents, the operation was a visible sign of action against a black market that has been openly trading in parts of the city.

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Kubus Vapes in Swansea closed by Trading Standards, with shutters down and closure notices attached following a crackdown on illegal vapes and tobacco.

Illegal vapes, fake dolls and tobacco stash seized in Neath Port Talbot raids

Trading Standards officers, working alongside the council’s Waste Enforcement Team and South Wales Police, carried out a series of raids after receiving intelligence about the sale of illicit tobacco and illegal vapes.

Illicit tobacco was discovered hidden in business premises and vehicles parked nearby, with sniffer dogs used to detect the concealments. Officers also found disposable vapes openly on sale, along with counterfeit “Labubu” dolls which are believed to flout safety laws and could pose risks to children.

A follow‑up visit to another premises uncovered further illegal vapes and fake toys. Two vehicles were seized during the operation, which also led to the identification of a man who had failed to pay a Fixed Penalty Notice for waste offences. He has since paid the outstanding fine.

The raids form part of a wider crackdown by Trading Standards in recent months, which has already seen closure orders and prosecutions. One case is due for sentencing at Swansea Crown Court in October.

Councillor Cen Phillips, Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet Member for Nature, Tourism and Wellbeing, said the results showed the value of agencies working together:

“This operation demonstrates the benefits of inter‑agency information sharing and cooperation.
These businesses are wilfully undermining efforts to protect the health and safety of the public at large by selling dangerous and illegal products. By hiding their wares they are fully aware of the illegality of their actions.”

Investigations into the seized goods are continuing.

Anyone with information about the sale of illicit tobacco or illegal vapes is urged to contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 or via crimestoppers-uk.org.

#CllrCenPhillips #fakeLabubu #fakeToys #illegalCigarettes #illegalVapes #IllicitTobacco #Labubu #NeathPortTalbot #NeathPortTalbotCouncil #TradingStandards #WasteEnforcement

London vape boss ordered to repay £325k after Swansea trading standards bust

Amandeep Kukreja, 28, of Kingsbridge Road, Southall, was the director of Norwood Trading Ltd and owner of Buddha Vapes. He admitted a due diligence offence under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 after Swansea Council’s trading standards team uncovered his role in a multi‑million‑pound illegal vape operation.

Swansea investigation leads to London raid

The case began with a 2022–23 investigation into illegal vape sales in Swansea, which led to the jailing of Rebel Vapes owner Kashif Iqbal from Bonymaen. Phone evidence from that case identified Kukreja as a supplier.

In February 2024, Swansea trading standards officers, supported by the Metropolitan Police under ‘Operation Thor’, executed a search warrant at Buddha Vapes in Southall.

In a rear storage area, officers found 120,000 illegal vapes — more than they could fit on the lorries brought from Wales. Many had oversized tanks of up to 20ml, far above the legal 2ml limit, and offered up to 15,000 “puffs” compared to the 600–700 of legal devices. Most were imported from China.

Court: “Epidemic” of vape shops

Swansea Crown Court heard the £778,851 benefit figure in the case reflected only the seized stock, not the wider sales network. Kukreja refused to answer police questions or provide the PIN to his phone.

Judge Geraint Walters described an “epidemic” of vape shops in Swansea and other towns, praising the council’s proactive stance. He said much of the seized stock would have been sold to children and warned: “Nobody yet knows the health impacts of using vapes — that day of reckoning may come.”

The judge said that had Kukreja been charged with fraud, he could have faced years in prison, but accepted the “practical” decision to proceed under consumer protection laws given the cost of complex prosecutions.

Sentence and confiscation order

Kukreja was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for two years. Under a Proceeds of Crime confiscation order, he must pay £325,000 within three months or face three years in prison in default. The court heard he will have to sell a property to meet the order.

Council: “Stamping out harmful products”

Cllr David Hopkins, Swansea Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Corporate Service and Performance, said:

“Shop owners selling illegal products with age restrictions to underage children are not only breaking the law, but also showing a complete lack of awareness about the consequences.
Our trading standards team has continued the excellent work it has already done in recent years to stamp out the sale of these potentially harmful products. This operation was a great success in stemming the flow of illegal vapes into Swansea and beyond.”

#illegalVapes #London #Southall #Swansea #SwanseaCouncil #TradingStandards

Illegal vapes seized by Swansea Trading Standards

Illegal disposable vapes seized from Neath Port Talbot shops

Neath Port Talbot Council Trading Standards have confiscated dozens of illegal disposable vapes still being sold in local shops — despite a nationwide ban that came into force on 1 June 2025.

Acting on intelligence, officers visited two premises in the area and discovered 67 single-use vapes on sale. The businesses voluntarily surrendered the items, which will now be safely disposed of in line with environmental regulations.

The ban, introduced under the Environmental Protection (Single Use Vapes) (Wales) Regulations 2024, is part of a wider UK effort to reduce environmental harm and protect children from underage vaping. Disposable vapes are considered non-compliant if they are not refillable or rechargeable, or if their coils and pods cannot be easily replaced.

“The ban on disposable vapes is there to protect the public and the environment and has been well publicised,” said Cllr Cen Phillips, Cabinet Member for Nature, Tourism and Wellbeing. “Disposable vapes are a significant problem, as they contain hazardous materials which are difficult to safely dispose of and because they are frequently purchased by under-18s.”

The businesses involved will receive formal warning letters, with potential penalties including fixed fines or prosecution if found selling banned products again.

Residents with concerns about illegal vape sales or underage purchases are urged to contact Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133 (or 0808 223 1144 for Welsh speakers), or email tsd@npt.gov.uk.

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Swansea Trading Standards make huge counterfeit toy seizure
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Taibach vape shop shut down after selling illegal cigarettes and vapes
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#CitizensAdviceCymru #CllrCenPhillips #disposableVapes #illegalVapes #NeathPortTalbot #NeathPortTalbotCouncil #TradingStandards

illegal single-use vapes found by Trading Standards

Taibach vape shop shut down after selling illegal cigarettes and vapes

A District Judge at Swansea Magistrates Court approved the closure of Vape Land in Commercial Road, Taibach, under Section 80 Of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.

Neath Port Talbot Council’s Trading Standards Team say the premises had been selling counterfeit and non-tax paid tobacco and cigarettes as well as Illegal and oversized vapes on a number of occasions since June of last year.

A Senior Investigations Officer from the council’s Trading Standards Team gave the District Judge a brief history of Vape Land, explaining that on June 12th, 2024 a test purchase of a pouch of Amber Leaf hand rolling tobacco was made by colleagues as part of a national operation – trademark holders later confirmed the tobacco to be counterfeit.

In August 2024, South Wales Police and Neath Port Talbot Council Enforcement Officers conducted an inspection at Vape Land which led to vapes, leaf tobacco and cigarettes being seized.

The District Judge was further told more complaints were received regarding the sale of non-compliant single use vapes, cigarettes and tobacco and the sale of vapes to people under 18.

As a result, a further operation with South Wales Police took place in April of this year during which vapes, cigarettes and leaf tobacco were seized. All the single use vapes seized were found to contain far in excess of the fluid allowed for such products.

The District Judge agreed to the closure order at a hearing on June 12th, 2025 after being told by the investigations officer it was the council’s view that unless the shop was closed the nuisance would not stop.

The court heard the person who has been leasing the shop since April 2024 could not be traced for interview.

The sale and supply of single-use (disposable) vapes across the UK became illegal on June 1, 2025. This ban applies to all businesses, both online and in-store, regardless of whether the vapes contain nicotine.

The rationale behind the ban is to address the environmental impact of disposable vapes, which are often discarded improperly and contain harmful substances. The ban also aims to protect children and young people, as disposable vapes are seen as appealing to underage vapers.

Non-compliant single use vapes of the type found at Vape Land are often in colourful, child-appealing packaging and flavours. The consequences to the mental health of the impressionable children purchasing these vapes can be long term and very serious.

The NPT Council Senior Investigations Officer told the District Judge: “The business which was trading from this premises was operating with blatant disregard to the consequences the children would suffer due to accessing these vapes.”

Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet Member for Nature, Tourism and Wellbeing, Cllr Cen Phillips said: “I commend our Trading Standards Officers for achieving this closure order and I would urge anyone who cares about their community and their children’s health to report any information they have relating to illegal tobacco or vape sales.”

#CllrCenPhillips #illegalCigarettes #illegalVapes #NeathPortTalbotCouncil #PortTalbot #Taibach #TradingStandards

Shop raided for selling illegal vapes and cigarettes – just yards from council offices

Peshawa Zada, owner of Bob Marley Vapes, St Helen’s Road, has pleaded guilty to a number of offences relating to the sale of unlawful vapes, counterfeit cigarettes and fraud, and is due to be sentenced in April.

Mr Zada, 23 of St Helen’s Road, had repeated visits by Trading Standards, dating back to March 2023, where officers were concerned with continued sales of the illegal vape products and complaints they were being sold to children under the age of 18.

In the UK, disposable vapes cannot be sold with more than 2ml of liquid. Visits to the Swansea-based shop, established vapes were being sold with 10ml of liquid and were seized by the Council.

During the latest visit in March, trading standards officers discovered a number of concealed storage areas at the rear of the shop and in the ceiling which contained illegal vapes, along with counterfeit cigarettes.

The shop owner was arrested and charged with seven offences. He has since pleaded guilty at Swansea Magistrates and has been remanded in custody until sentencing next month.

David Hopkins, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Corporate Service and Performance, said: “Shop owners selling illegal products with age restrictions, to underage children, are not only breaking the law, but they are also displaying a complete lack of awareness about the consequences, the sale of these products can cause to young people.

“Our trading standards team has continued the excellent work it has already done in recent years, to stamp out the sale of these potentially harmful products, that are getting into the hands of young children.”

In 2024, the Council led an operation with police (Operation Thor) to seize illegal vapes from a large storage facility in London, seizing more than 120,000 illegal vapes with a street value of £1.5million.

Cllr Hopkins, said: “The operation was a great success in terms of stemming the flow of illegal vapes into Swansea. Sadly, we know that shops in the city are still attempting to sell these illegal goods such as vapes and counterfeit cigarettes.

“We will continue to target these stores and keep consumers safe.”

(Lead image: Google maps)

#Business #CounterfeitGoods #illegalCigarettes #illegalVapes #StHelensRoad #Swansea #SwanseaCouncil #TradingStandards