Swansea shopkeeper jailed after £45k stash of illegal vapes found hidden in toilet and bed
Illegal haul uncovered in High Street shop
Trading Standards raided Snoop Vape Store on Swansea’s High Street in July last year, finding a “significant amount” of illegal tobacco and oversized disposable vapes. Some were concealed in a hidden compartment inside the shop, while others were discovered behind a secret panel in the toilet.
Officers seized 52 packets of illegal cigarettes and 714 disposable vapes during the initial search.
Flat search reveals even bigger stash
Investigators later located Arif’s flat in Griffith John Street, where they found an even larger cache: 1,353 packets of illegal tobacco, 468 illegal vapes and £1,690 in cash. Some of the stock had been hidden in the base of a bed.
Prosecutors said the total value of the illegal products was just under £45,000, with some vapes containing liquid reservoirs up to 20 times the legal limit.
Judge: ‘The seriousness cannot be overstated’
Judge Huw Rees, sentencing at Swansea Crown Court, said the sale of unlawful tobacco and vapes was an increasing problem across the UK and warned that the seriousness of the issue “cannot be overstated”. He said Arif’s operation showed clear planning and sophistication.
Arif, who came to the UK from Iraq in 2020, told the court he had been motivated by a desire to send money home to his ill mother. His barrister said he had found six months on remand “isolating” due to his limited English.
The court also heard Arif had previously worked in a Lincolnshire shop that was issued with a closure notice in January 2025 after illegal tobacco and vapes were found there.
Police: ‘These products are unsafe’
PC James Rees, South Wales Police, said:
“The issue of vape shops selling illegal e‑cigarettes and tobacco is one that we are working hard alongside Trading Standards in order to address in Swansea city centre.
These illegal products are unsafe and can cause significant health risks to those unsuspecting people who purchase these products from shops which knowingly operate in contradiction to the law.
Halkawt Arif played his part in that, and for that it is right that he is going to prison.”
Judge Rees ordered the forfeiture and destruction of all seized items. Arif will serve up to half his 16‑month sentence in custody before being released on licence. The judge noted he may be liable for deportation, but said that decision rests with the Home Office.
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