UK busts major illegal e-cigarette case involving 120,000 units; ringleader gets one year in prison

Key points:

·Subject of the case: Norwood Trading Ltd, a British company, and its brand Buddha Vapes, led by Amandeep Kukraja. 

·Judgment result: 12 months imprisonment and confiscation of £300,000 (about $410,000) under the Proceeds of Crime Act. 

·Scale of the case: Nearly 120,000 illegal e-cigarettes seized during the operation, with distribution covering Swansea and several other cities in the UK. 

·Background of the operation: Led by the Swansea Council Trading Standards, in collaboration with the London Metropolitan Police, Operation Thor was carried out. 

·Official stance: Strongly condemn the sale of age-restricted products to minors, emphasizing continued efforts to combat illegal trade that poses harm to the health of young people.

In a report by Ealing on September 11, 2025, a 28-year-old man from Shosholoza supplied thousands of illegal e-cigarettes to stores in Swansea, UK. After an investigation by the Trading Standards Department in 2024, he was sentenced to probation.

Amandeep Kukraja, director of Norwood Trading Limited and owner of Buddha Vapes, appeared in Swansea Crown Court and admitted to violating the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. He was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered to pay back over £300,000 (approximately $410,000) under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

The case was a result of a lengthy investigation by the Swansea Council Trading Standards team. The discovery of illegal e-cigarettes at a local store initially led officials to a storage facility in Neath. Working in collaboration with the Metropolitan Police in London, officials found nearly 120,000 illegal e-cigarettes at the location, as part of "Operation Thor.

Kuklaj supplied illegal e-cigarettes to various shops across the UK, with Swansea being one of the many cities that received the product.

Swansea Council Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member David Hopkins stated: "Shop owners selling age-restricted illegal products to minors are not only breaking the law, but also completely unaware of the potential consequences of selling these products to young people. Our Trading Standards team has continued the work done in recent years to prevent these potentially harmful products from falling into the hands of children. I believe that the significant seizures of illegal products not only benefit Swansea, but also benefit other towns throughout the UK.