In the first “at border” detection since new laws were implemented at the start of 2024, the Australian Border Force (ABF) stopped around 400,000 disposable vapes from entering Australia in Sydney in less than a week.
ABF officers at Sydney’s Container Examination Facility (CEF) x-rayed three marine cargo consignments between Monday, May 20, and Thursday, May 23, 2024, and found irregularities; each consignment had different declarations of goods, including kitchenware, furniture, cleaning supplies, and apparel.
Officers found about 389,880 disposable vapes inside the canisters after conducting a closer inspection, including:
Officers found 37,800 disposable vape products hidden among mixed declared goods on Monday, May 20, 2024; on the same day, they discovered a second container, which, upon closer examination, held eighteen palettes of cardboard boxes wrapped in plastic, containing 174,960 disposable vapes; and on Thursday, May 23, 2024, they discovered about 177,120 disposable vapes spread throughout a third container.
All of these shipments were made in Asia. Investigations into the importation of these commodities and their intended destination are still ongoing, however the items have been seized and will be destroyed.
The estimated street value of all the vaping items that were seized is more than $12.47 million.
With the shipment of over 177,120 units on Thursday, Australia saw its largest-ever “at border” discovery of disposable vapes since the law amendments were implemented on January 1, 2024.
The frequency and sizeable amounts of vaping products that ABF officers are currently intercepting, according to ABF Acting Commander Trade East Asha Patwardhan, show how importers are still showing blatant disregard for the new laws in an attempt to get around border controls and bring these illegal goods into Australia.
Since the new border regulations went into effect five months ago, we have definitely noticed the attempts at concealment that these organised crime syndicates are making. Additionally, a wide variety of vaping products, ranging from vape liquid and accessories in our international mail facilities to container loads of disposable products on an industrial scale, are now stopped at the border.
We are aware that the same criminal gangs making money off of illegal tobacco sales are branching out into the vaping product industry.
By halting and seizing these vaping items, we must target and disrupt all the sources of income that these syndicates use to fund their other criminal endeavours, including the sale of illicit drugs.
The bulk of these disposable vapes are known to contain extremely addictive nicotine, even if their colourful packaging and appealing, fruity flavours appeal to a younger demographic and expose them to severe health risks.
The ABF is committed to prioritising the health and safety of the Australian population and will keep up its aggressive and proactive enforcement and disruption tactics.
The community is urged to report any suspicious behaviour relating to borders by using Border Watch, which can be found at http://www.abf.gov.au/borderwatch.
You may contribute to the community’s and Australia’s border protection by reporting suspicious activity. You may report something anonymously.
If the issues outlined in this article are affecting you, please do not hesitate to contact us, and we will do what we can to help you with your situation.