A Swansea shopkeeper has been caught up in a major bust involving illegal vapes. Kashif Iqbal was ordered to pay a whopping £300,000 after being found guilty of running a fraudulent business selling illegal vapes, each offering up to a staggering 4,000 puffs—way above the legal limit of 600. Authorities found Iqbal not only selling these at his shop, Rebel Vapes, but also supplying them wholesale, playing a key role in distributing them across the UK.
The investigation, which started with Swansea Council’s trading standards officers visiting Iqbal’s shop, eventually uncovered a massive operation. Stashes of illegal vapes were seized both from his shop and a storage unit, with an estimated street value of half a million pounds. The proceeds of crime investigation dug deeper into Iqbal’s finances, leading to the court’s confiscation order.
But this Swansea investigation did more than catch one rogue retailer. It unveiled a multi-million pound illegal business, leading authorities to a larger supplier suspected of distributing illegal vapes nationwide. In February 2024, trading standards, assisted by the Met Police, raided a business in Southall, London, finding a shocking stash of illegal mega vapes, some offering up to 15,000 puffs and originating from China, where size and liquid restrictions are less stringent.
This case highlights the massive scale and lucrative nature of illegal vape trading, raising awareness about the importance of regulation in protecting consumers, especially young people, from unregulated and potentially harmful products.