A FISHERMAN who had been drinking swiped a kitchen knife from a town centre takeaway in Haverfordwest before getting into a confrontation outside a pub.

Swansea Crown Court heard that on the evening of September 28, Arturs Malkovs, aged 31, took a knife from inside Smash n Shake on Castle Square and tucked it into his waistband.

Malkovs, who had been staying in Milford Haven for work, was refused entry to Friars Vaults pub shortly afterwards.

Prosecutor Harry Dickens told the court that a scuffle then broke out outside the pub, during which the knife fell from Malkovs’ waistband and was kicked away by a bystander before being returned to the takeaway.

Malkovs walked away down Quay Street but was later arrested by police, who noted he was heavily intoxicated and in possession of 1.85 grams of cannabis.

During police interview, he admitted possessing cannabis but gave no comment to other questions. He was later fined £160 and ordered to pay £85 in costs for the drugs offence at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on October 15.

At a subsequent hearing at Swansea Crown Court, Malkovs, of Mamore Crescent, Fort William, admitted possession of a knife in a public place.

The court heard that his only previous conviction was in 2023, for driving while disqualified and without insurance.

Defending, David Singh said Malkovs was remorseful and had taken responsibility by pleading guilty.

“He recognises alcohol was the root of the problem,” said Mr Singh. “His time in custody has had a positive effect—he has been alcohol-free since.”

Judge Huw Rees said the incident may have seemed immature but carried serious risks.

“You did something juvenile, but it had a serious aspect,” said the judge.

“The production of a knife in public is dangerous—it can escalate situations and provoke violence. Nobody is saying you can’t have a drink in Haverfordwest or Milford Haven, but it must be within the bounds of acceptable behaviour.”

Malkovs was sentenced to 19 weeks in custody, suspended for 12 months. He must complete 15 rehabilitation activity days and a 90-day alcohol abstinence monitoring programme.

Court hearing due to take place on April 17 at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court

TWO vape shops in Pembrokeshire are facing possible closure following allegations of nuisance and disorder, The Herald can reveal.

KR Vapes in Charles Street, Milford Haven, and Vape Zone in Sovereign House, Haverfordwest, are both the subject of closure order applications due to be heard tomorrow (Thursday, Apr 17) at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court.

Court documents show that the applications have been brought under section 80 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, following the service of closure notices on both premises on Wednesday (Apr 16).

KR Vapes, located at 63 Charles Street in Milford Haven, appears first on the court list, with the case listed as a first hearing at 10:00am.

Immediately following is the application against Vape Zone at 33 High Street, Haverfordwest.

Both applications have been submitted by the same informant, understood to be a local authority or law enforcement officer, seeking to close the businesses on grounds of ongoing disorder or serious nuisance.

What is a closure order

Under section 80 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, a closure order can be made by a magistrates’ court if it is satisfied that:

A person has engaged, or is likely to engage, in disorderly, offensive or criminal behaviour on the premises;

The use of the premises has resulted in, or is likely to result in, serious nuisance to members of the public; or

There has been, or is likely to be, disorder near those premises associated with the use of the premises.

Closure orders can prohibit access to the premises entirely, or limit it to certain individuals or times. If granted, they can last for up to three months initially and may be extended to a maximum of six months.

The orders are designed to quickly tackle locations that are linked to anti-social behaviour, including drug use, violence, noise, or criminal activity. Breaching a closure order is a criminal offence.

Community concern

The use of this legislation is often seen as a sign of significant concern from authorities, as it bypasses longer civil proceedings and is designed to bring rapid relief to affected communities.

The Herald has contacted both vape shops for comment.

265 premises raided in UK-wide operation

SENEDD Member Gareth Davies MS has welcomed a national crackdown on high street money laundering, following a series of targeted police raids on businesses across the UK.

The police and trading standards also targeted at least one shop in Charles Street Milford Haven last month (Mar 13), the Herald understands that the authorities were looking for counterfeit or illegally imported cigarettes and tobacco. We are still awaiting an update on the outcome of that raid.

The nationwide operation, however, is called Operation Machinize. It is being led by the National Crime Agency (NCA), saw coordinated action at 265 premises including barbershops, car washes, vape shops and American sweet stores. Officers made 35 arrests, froze bank accounts holding over £1 million, and placed 97 suspected modern slavery victims under protection. The NCA estimates that up to £12 billion of criminal cash is laundered in the UK every year.

The large-scale operation follows warnings first raised by Mr Davies in the Senedd on 7 February 2024. During that debate, he highlighted an unusual concentration of cash-only barbershops and vape shops in his constituency, suggesting links to organised crime and illicit financial activity.

At the time, his comments were dismissed by Labour Senedd Members and Welsh Government ministers. Labour MS for Ogmore, Huw Irranca-Davies, said during the debate:
“[…] to brand whole swathes of our high street businesses as potential criminal money-launderers is a terrible slur on the many local businesses who are trying to create jobs and make a living and bring life to our towns.”

However, growing public concern in parts of Wales appears to support Mr Davies’ earlier claims. In Porth, South Wales, a 14th barbershop application was recently submitted in a town with a population of just 6,000 — raising fresh questions about the scale and purpose of some high street businesses.

Mr Davies has now challenged Welsh Labour to confirm whether they acknowledge the seriousness of the issue, especially given the NCA operation took place under a UK Labour Government. He is also calling on the Welsh Government to provide support and guidance to local councils dealing with suspected laundering.

Speaking following the raids, Gareth Davies said: “When I first raised my constituents’ concerns about the rise of cash-only businesses on our high streets, they were met with pearl-clutching by Labour members who dismissed them outright.

“I welcome the police crackdown, a year on from when I first sounded the alarm, and I hope that Operation Machinize will deliver meaningful results.

“I would like the Welsh Government to clarify whether they now accept this is a real and growing issue, and to set out how they plan to equip local authorities to tackle it head on.”