UK vape shop ownership probe links 14 Accrington stores to ghost directors

A Daily Express investigation alleges that dozens of vape shops in north-west England used “ghost directors” to conceal their real owners, and that some trace back to a man previously accused of helping asylum seekers work illegally.

The report focuses on Accrington, Lancashire, where it counts 14 vape shops and 36 barbers. The allegations are the outlet’s own findings; no regulator has announced action against the named individuals or shops, and no charges are reported.

Ownership records link a named director to a shuttered Accrington shop

Companies House records list Bryar Mohammed Zada as owner of an Accrington vape shop that closed mid-day when the Express sought comment, according to the investigation. The report says Zada’s name was one the alleged fixer, Kardos Mateen, offered to a BBC undercover reporter as a stand-in director for £400 a month.

The Express also reports that Karwan Jameel Saadoon, named as owner of two identical businesses at the same address, had a Bolton vape shop transferred to him by Mateen. It says a background check found at least 36 businesses registered in Saadoon’s name, including seven opened on the same day in October 2024 across Cumbria and Lancashire.

Saadoon gave conflicting explanations when questioned and said he was a victim of identity theft, the Express reports. Mateen is described as an alleged fixer; the BBC undercover recording is cited as the basis for that allegation, not a court finding.

Two MPs turned the findings into a border and high-street argument

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said the findings showed the government had lost control of borders and high streets. Reform UK MP Lee Anderson said the shops were opening daily and high streets had become a “safe space for crime”.

A government spokesperson, quoted in the report, said it does not comment on individual cases and that assets of those profiting from crime can be confiscated. The spokesperson said the Home Secretary is cracking down on businesses used as fronts for organised crime, backed by £30 million of funding.

Neither statement addresses the specific shops or records in the investigation. The Express links the case to a wider pattern it first reported in May, when Accrington residents raised concerns about the number of barbers and vape shops.

What the allegations change for suppliers and distributors

Analysis: the story puts company-record hygiene on the supply side’s risk list. Distributors and brands that onboard stockists can check directors against Companies House, note how many companies a director holds and flag shared addresses before extending credit or trade terms.

Facts in the report also point to order-timing pressure for legitimate retailers in the same towns: bare shelves and unusually low prices at some stores, as described by the Express, suggest competitors operating on thin or unclear margins. No regulator has said these shops break vape-specific rules; the allegations concern ownership and immigration paperwork.

What happens next depends on enforcement, not the article

The report does not state a date for any Companies House inquiry, police action or Home Office enforcement against the named shops. The £30 million figure is described as funding for the Home Secretary’s existing crackdown, with no timetable given.

Until a regulator or court acts, the ownership allegations remain the Express’s findings. The individuals named have not been charged in the report, and Saadoon’s identity-theft claim is recorded without a stated outcome.

Questions readers ask

Are the named Accrington vape shops banned or closed?

The report does not say any shop has been banned or shut by a regulator. One Accrington vape shop closed its doors mid-day when the Express sought comment, and no enforcement action is reported against the named individuals.

What is a ghost director?

In the report, a ghost director is a person paid to put their name on company paperwork and absorb any fines a business incurs, so the real owner stays hidden. The Express says Mateen offered this arrangement to a BBC undercover reporter.