Anglesey continues to crack down on illegal vapes

17/01/2025

Illegal vapes, worth over £750,000, found behind sliced beef in a refrigerated wagon are to be destroyed.

Caernarfon Magistrates Court yesterday (Wednesday, January 15th) granted a forfeiture order for the destruction of 54,560 electronic vaping devices imported through the Port of Holyhead, following an application brought by Anglesey Council’s Trading Standards.

The Court heard how 10 pallets of vapes were discovered in a refrigerated wagon, concealed behind sliced beef, by UK Border Force officers in July 2024. The vapes were subsequently seized by Anglesey Trading Standards.

The 54,560 devices, with a retail value of over £750,000, were undeclared, undocumented and non-compliant with UK legislation, significantly exceeding the maximum permitted tank size and not having the required warnings.

High Wycombe based, St Rose Solutions Ltd., claimed that they had been loaded by mistake and requested return of the consignment. There was no evidence to support this. Anglesey Trading Standards offered the company the opportunity to waiver its rights to the goods so that they could be destroyed, which was declined by the company.

Despite initially communicating with Trading Standards in an to attempt to have the consignment released, the company ceased all interaction when officers disclosed their intention to seek forfeiture.

Caernarfon Magistrates granted the Forfeiture Order, permitting Anglesey Trading Standards to have the goods destroyed and preventing them from being placed on the UK market.

St Rose Solutions Ltd. were also ordered to pay the Anglesey Council’s costs £4,725.82, which were incurred in bringing the application, storage of the goods and their disposal by a specialist due to the toxic nature of the ‘nicotine juice’ and lithium batteries.

Anglesey’s Public Protection portfolio holder, Councillor Nicola Roberts, welcomed the judgement. She added, “This case clearly highlights the effectiveness of joint working with our partners. I’m grateful to UKBF officers at Holyhead Port and our own Trading Standards officers for ensuring that these illegal vapes were not sold in the UK.”