Holyhead haul: 109,600 illegal vapes to be destroyed after importer admits offences

More than 100,000 illegal disposable vapes seized at the Port of Holyhead are set to be destroyed after a Lancashire businessman and his firm admitted importing non-compliant products into the UK.

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

The prosecution was brought by Isle of Anglesey County Council following an investigation triggered when UK Border Force flagged a suspicious container last autumn.

The case centres on the importation of 109,600 Hyati Pro 4000+ devices on 11 October 2023. The nine-tonne consignment arrived in a refrigerated shipping container which had been declared as holding “perishable food”.

However, inspections by Trading Standards officers found the container packed with oversized disposable vapes, marketed as containing 10ml of nicotine liquid – five times the legal limit permitted in the UK.

Inspectors also raised multiple packaging and compliance failures. The products were said to lack required health warnings and did not include safety information, contact details, or evidence of registration prior to being offered for sale.

Prosecutor Laura Knightly told the court the Holyhead shipment was not believed to be a one-off. Trading Standards enquiries linked Shafi to previous attempts to move non-compliant vapes through Liverpool, which did not reach the UK market, as well as another shipment stopped in Scotland that was allegedly destined for his Blackburn distribution network.

The court heard Shafi initially denied responsibility, claiming the vapes belonged to a different business, European Distribution NW Ltd. He told investigators the products were meant for re-export to Morocco, but officers found no agreement in place at the time the consignment entered the country.

It was also stated that Shafi attempted to strike off the same company shortly after the seizure – a step later withdrawn following scrutiny of financial records which suggested links with UK retailers.

District Judge Gwyn Jones said Shafi, a father-of-five and sole director of several connected companies, showed awareness that the imported products breached UK law.

“Those bringing items into England and Wales are responsible for ensuring compliance,” Nation.Cymru cited the judge as saying, who added that Shafi “knew there was an issue with these vapes”.

While the judge stopped short of imposing an immediate custodial sentence, he handed down significant financial penalties.

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

SpeedDrop Logistics Ltd was fined £250 per offence and ordered to pay a £300 surcharge, bringing its total penalty to £1,050.

The court also granted a forfeiture and destruction order, allowing Anglesey Council to dispose of all 109,600 seized vapes.

Judge Jones praised Anglesey Trading Standards for what he described as a “vital intervention that the public do not see”, warning that illegal vape products pose real risks – including misleading nicotine levels and unknown battery or chemical safety concerns.

Anglesey Council said the seizure prevented potentially dangerous, unregulated devices from entering online and high-street retail channels.