In less than a week, the Australian Border Force has prevented nearly 400,000 disposable vaporizers valued at more than $12.47 million from entering Australia.
ABF officers discovered the products in three separate ocean freight shipments, all originating in Asia, at the Sydney container inspection facility.
Agents on Monday found 37,800 disposable vaping products hidden inside declared mixed products and also found 18 pallets of plastic-wrapped cardboard boxes containing 174,960 disposable vapes in a second container.
Three days later, agents identified 177,120 disposable vaporizers in a third container.
This is the largest “border” detection of disposable vaporizers in Australia since new laws cracking down on the importation of vaping products were introduced on January 1 this year, the ABF said in a statement.
Australian Border Force officers found 18 pallets of plastic-wrapped cardboard boxes containing 174,960 disposable vapes (pictured) in a single bust.
“The items have been seized and will be destroyed, and investigations are ongoing into the importation of these goods and their intended destination,” the ABF confirmed.
ABF Acting Trade East Commander Asha Patwardhan said the frequency and significant quantities of vaping products ABF officers were now intercepting demonstrated how importers continued to blatantly ignore the new laws.
“The new border rules have been in place for five months and we are certainly starting to see the concealment attempts that these organized crime syndicates are employing,” Acting Commander Patwardhan said.
“We are also seeing a wide range of vaping products detained at the border, from vaping liquid and accessories at our international mail facilities, to containers full of disposable products on an industrial scale.”
Acting Commander Patwardhan said the same groups of people who benefit from illicit tobacco are also diversifying into the distribution of vaping products.
“These syndicates use the profits from these illicit activities to fund their other criminal enterprises, including the supply of illicit drugs; we must target and disrupt all strands of their business model by stopping and seizing these vaping products,” the acting commander said. Patwardhan.
In less than a week, a total of 389,880 were found in three separate containers
Disposable vaping products have been seized and will be destroyed.
“It is well established that the vast majority of these disposable vaporizers contain highly addictive nicotine, despite having brands with fun fruit flavors and colorful packaging that make them particularly attractive to a younger market and expose them to unacceptable health risks.
“The ABF will continue its strong proactive enforcement and disruption efforts to put the health and safety of the Australian community first.”
Community members are encouraged to help protect Australia’s border and community by reporting suspicious border-related activity through Border Watch at http://www.abf.gov.au/borderwatch.
Reports can be made anonymously.
