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Tag: illegal vapes

  • Ohio Weighs Authority to Enforce Illegal Vape Sales

    Ohio Weighs Authority to Enforce Illegal Vape Sales

    The Ohio Supreme Court heard arguments over whether the state can use its consumer protection laws to take action against retailers selling unauthorized flavored e-cigarettes, a case that could define the extent of state authority alongside federal tobacco regulation. The lawsuits, originally filed in 2024 against several Ohio tobacco retailers, allege the stores sold flavored vaping products that lacked U.S. FDA marketing authorization.

    Retailers argued that enforcement of federal tobacco marketing laws rests exclusively with the FDA, while Ohio officials contended the state has the authority to protect consumers from illegal product sales. The case comes as Ohio also awaits a separate Supreme Court ruling on whether cities can enforce their own flavored tobacco restrictions after the state enacted a law preempting local regulations.

  • Seven Arrested for Vape Trafficking in Cambodia

    Seven Arrested for Vape Trafficking in Cambodia

    Seven people were arrested and potentially face 20 years in prison in Cambodia for allegedly trafficking and possessing electronic cigarette products. Five suspects were apprehended in a raid on an electronic device distributor in Phnom Penh where more than 300,000 vaping items, including devices and e-liquids worth over $1 million, were seized. In a separate raid, a husband and wife were detained at a shop in Siem Reap where authorities confiscated 100 boxes of vaping paraphernalia. All the suspects face charges under Cambodia’s Law on Drugs Control.

  • Maldives Faces Surge in Smuggled Cigarettes and Vapes

    Maldives Faces Surge in Smuggled Cigarettes and Vapes

    The number of smuggled cigarettes in the Maldives has now surpassed legally imported, duty-paid cigarettes, Deputy Speaker Ahmed Nazim said today (October 27). Speaking on behalf of the Parliament’s Committee on National Security Services (241 Committee), Nazim said that recent increases in cigarette import duties and the ban on vapes have fueled a spike in illicit trade, costing the state significant revenue.

    Nazim said that smuggled cigarettes and vapes are widely available, often sold openly through social media, and are entering the country through customs channels. He emphasized that the committee’s recommendations, if implemented, would be critical to curbing smuggling and protecting state revenue. “People’s tax money is being lost while others profit,” he said.

    The warning follows a major seizure in April when customs intercepted two containers carrying 13.6 million sticks of cigarettes disguised as plywood cargo, with an estimated value of MVR 122 million ($7.9 million). The containers remain under investigation at Maldives Ports Limited, pending referral to the Prosecutor General’s Office.