More than 300 vapes have been destroyed and two men prosecuted for selling them.
The 304 vapes were discovered as part of raids carried out by North East Lincolnshire Council’s Trading Standards Team and Humberside Police across the borough.
Two men pleaded guilty to a total of four offences at Grimsby Magistrates Court in two separate trials and were fined a total of £3,279 for their crimes.
Some of the counterfeit products were seized after being found in a car during a routine traffic stop by police and the others during a raid on a premises in Freeman Street.
- Amir Jihingir Hussein, 33, of Boulevard Avenue, Grimsby, was ordered to pay a fine of £230, government surcharge of £92 and prosecution costs of £1315. He pleaded guilty to three offences relating to possession of 20,000 counterfeit cigarettes and 160 illegal oversized vaping bars at a hearing on Thursday, 11 September. The products were seized during a traffic stop by Police on 24 March, 2024. Five months previously, the man had been given a caution by Trading Standards for similar offences.
- Shwan Fatahi, 24, of Freeman Street, Grimsby, was ordered to pay a fine of £769, Government surcharge of £308 and costs of £565. He pleaded guilty to one offence relating to possession with intent to supply 144 illegal vapes and two offences in relation to the sale of illicit cigarettes during a hearing on Friday, 10 October, 2025. He too was issued with a previous caution from Trading Standards in November 2023.
By law, vapes should have an internal tank capacity of no more than 2ml, and the level of nicotine contained in the vaping fluid should not exceed 20mg/ml (or 2 per cent). Additionally, since June 1 2025, vapes must be refillable, rechargeable and the coil, which heats the liquid to produce the vapour, must also be easily replaceable by the user.
Failure to comply with any one of those requirements would mean the vape is illegal under The Environmental Protection (Single-use Vapes) (England) Regulations.
As with tobacco products, these items are required to display certain health warnings and every such device, and the liquid it contains, should be registered with the MHRA (Medicines and Health care products Regulatory Agency) prior to being released onto the market.
Councillor Ron Shepherd, Portfolio Holder for safer and Stronger Communities, said: “Let this be a lesson to those who think they can get away with selling illegal and illicit tobacco products.
“Ourselves, alongside Humberside Police, will not stop prosecuting those who feel they are above the law. This is about not only making sure businesses are operating correctly, but also to ensure the safety of our residents.”
Councillor Stan Shreeve, Portfolio Holder for Health and Adult Social Care, added: “When you buy these products, you could be putting your own health at risk. Not only has no duty been paid on them but they’ve not been tested to ensure they’re safe.
“Additionally, I urge smokers in our region to use the support services on offer to help them to quit smoking.
“We have so many examples of people turning their lives around completely after quitting smoking with support from the Wellbeing Team.”
“The outcome was because of a routine traffic stop by Special Constables – our volunteer police officers – who seized the goods and worked with Trading Standards and North East Lincolnshire Council to carry out a thorough investigation.
“Any counterfeit products, including vapes, can be very dangerous as they are not subject to the rigorous safety standards imposed on goods sold legally.
“Not only is there a real health risk to individuals who smoke counterfeit products, the sale of these products funds more serious crime including human trafficking, child sexual and criminal exploitation, and other organised cross-border criminality in our area.
“This is an example of great partnership working and forms part of our ongoing work under Op Mandala, with some significant disruption across Grimsby. Work like this is important because it gets illegal products off the streets and out of our communities.
“These are not victimless crimes and agencies will continue to support one another, acting on information and intelligence that the public provide.
“We would continue to encourage anyone with information or concerns about counterfeit tobacco and vapes within your community, to please contact us via our non-emergency number 101, or by speaking to our officers when you see them out and about.
“You can also report anonymously via the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
To report the sale of illicit tobacco products, email [email protected] or call (01472) 326299, option 3. For more information on how to quit smoking, visit https://www.nelincs.gov.uk/health-wellbeing-and-social-care/health-and-wellbeing/stop-smoking/
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