Joint Operation Crackdown Nets $76M in Illegal E-Cigarettes
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in collaboration with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, seized approximately 3 million units of unauthorized e-cigarette products, with an estimated retail value of $76 million.
The seizures were part of a July joint operation to examine incoming shipments and prevent illegal e-cigarettes from entering the country.
"The FDA is on high alert and, in coordination with our federal partners, remains committed to stopping unauthorized e-cigarettes at our nation's borders," said FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf. "These products too often end up in kids' hands, and the newly formed federal task force is well positioned to collectively combat this unscrupulous activity."
The team worked for several months to review shipping invoices, identify potentially violative incoming shipments and complete other investigative work that led to this successful seizure. Upon examining shipments, all of which originated in China, the team found various brands of illegal e-cigarettes, including Geek Bar and others. In an alleged attempt to evade duties and detection, most of these unauthorized e-cigarettes were intentionally misdeclared as items with no connection to vaping products and with incorrect values.
The operation was carried out through the efforts of a joint federal task force, which the FDA and other agencies created earlier this year to streamline interdepartmental cooperation. According to the FDA, the frequency of such partnered operations has increased since the task force was created.
"This isn't the first joint seizure operation, and it won't be the last — we will continue to relentlessly pursue those attempting to smuggle illegal e-cigarettes," said Brian King, director of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products. "The $76 million these bad actors just put in the dumpster should be a sobering reminder that their time and money would be better spent complying with the law."
The task force intends to continue to focus on actions to stop the illegal importation and distribution of unauthorized e-cigarette products in the United States. In the meantime, the FDA will also continue to monitor domestic tobacco product retailers, taking appropriate regulatory action, such as issuing warning letters or civil monetary penalties, toward violators who illegally distribute unauthorized products.