Nine tonnes of illegal vapes seized at Holyhead to be destroyed

More than 100,000 illegal vapes seized at the Port of Holyhead will be destroyed after a businessman from Lancashire and his company admitted importing non-compliant products into the UK in breach of tobacco regulations.

At Mold Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (13 January), Ibrahim Shafi, 34, of Clarence Street, Blackburn, together with his company SpeedDrop Logistics Ltd, pleaded guilty to three offences under the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016.

The case was brought by Isle of Anglesey County Council, following a major joint enforcement intervention that began when UK Border Force raised the alarm last autumn.

The offences relate to the importation of 109,600 Hyati Pro 4000+ vapes on 11 October 2023 — a consignment weighing nine tonnes and arriving in a refrigerated container declared as “perishable food”.

When Trading Standards officers inspected the unit, they discovered pallet after pallet of oversized disposable vapes, advertised as containing 10ml of nicotine liquid — five times the legal UK limit.

Inspectors also found the packaging failed to meet multiple legal standards: the devices lacked mandatory health warnings, contained no safety leaflet or contact details, and were not registered as required before sale.

Prosecutor Laura Knightly told the court this was not an isolated incident.

Trading Standards enquiries linked Mr Shafi to prior attempts to move non-compliant vapes through Liverpool, which were prevented from entering the UK market, and to a further shipment stopped in Scotland destined for his Blackburn distribution network.

Shafi initially denied wrongdoing and claimed the vapes belonged to a separate company, European Distribution NW Ltd, insisting they were intended for re-export to Morocco — an agreement, officers learned, that was not in place at the time of import.

The court also heard Shafi attempted to strike off that same company shortly after the Holyhead seizure, a move later withdrawn after financial records suggested links with UK retailers.

Awareness

District Judge Gwyn Jones said Shafi, a father-of-five and the sole director of multiple linked companies, had shown awareness that the products breached UK law.

“Those bringing items into England and Wales are responsible for ensuring compliance,”
Judge Jones said.

“Mr Shafi knew there was an issue with these vapes.”

Acknowledging his role as the family breadwinner, the judge stopped short of imposing a custodial sentence but issued substantial penalties.

Shafi was fined £3,500 for each offence, with a £2,000 victim surcharge and £18,328.61 in prosecution costs, totalling £30,828.61.

SpeedDrop Logistics Ltd received £250 per offence, plus a £300 surcharge, totalling £1,050.

A forfeiture and destruction order was granted, enabling Anglesey Council to dispose of all 109,600 vapes.

Risks

Judge Jones praised Anglesey Trading Standards for a “vital intervention that the public do not see”, stressing that illicit devices create real risks, from misleading nicotine strength to unknown battery and chemical safety.

Anglesey Council said the seizure prevented dangerous, unregulated products entering high-street and online markets.

Under UK law, disposable vapes are restricted to 2ml liquid capacity, must carry clear warnings, and must be registered with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency before sale.