Amandeep Kukreja, 28, of Kingsbridge Road, Southall, was the director of Norwood Trading Ltd and owner of Buddha Vapes. He admitted a due diligence offence under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 after Swansea Council’s trading standards team uncovered his role in a multi‑million‑pound illegal vape operation.
Swansea investigation leads to London raid
The case began with a 2022–23 investigation into illegal vape sales in Swansea, which led to the jailing of Rebel Vapes owner Kashif Iqbal from Bonymaen. Phone evidence from that case identified Kukreja as a supplier.
In February 2024, Swansea trading standards officers, supported by the Metropolitan Police under ‘Operation Thor’, executed a search warrant at Buddha Vapes in Southall.
In a rear storage area, officers found 120,000 illegal vapes — more than they could fit on the lorries brought from Wales. Many had oversized tanks of up to 20ml, far above the legal 2ml limit, and offered up to 15,000 “puffs” compared to the 600–700 of legal devices. Most were imported from China.
Court: “Epidemic” of vape shops
Swansea Crown Court heard the £778,851 benefit figure in the case reflected only the seized stock, not the wider sales network. Kukreja refused to answer police questions or provide the PIN to his phone.
Judge Geraint Walters described an “epidemic” of vape shops in Swansea and other towns, praising the council’s proactive stance. He said much of the seized stock would have been sold to children and warned: “Nobody yet knows the health impacts of using vapes — that day of reckoning may come.”
The judge said that had Kukreja been charged with fraud, he could have faced years in prison, but accepted the “practical” decision to proceed under consumer protection laws given the cost of complex prosecutions.
Sentence and confiscation order
Kukreja was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for two years. Under a Proceeds of Crime confiscation order, he must pay £325,000 within three months or face three years in prison in default. The court heard he will have to sell a property to meet the order.
Council: “Stamping out harmful products”
Cllr David Hopkins, Swansea Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Corporate Service and Performance, said:
“Shop owners selling illegal products with age restrictions to underage children are not only breaking the law, but also showing a complete lack of awareness about the consequences.
Our trading standards team has continued the excellent work it has already done in recent years to stamp out the sale of these potentially harmful products. This operation was a great success in stemming the flow of illegal vapes into Swansea and beyond.”
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