Roundup of July 2025 Enforcement Actions on Illegal Vape
July 2025 has proven to be a pivotal month in the global fight against the illicit e-cigarette trade. Law enforcement and customs agencies from Asia to Europe and the Americas have launched significant operations, resulting in the seizure of millions of dollars’ worth of illegal vaping products. This roundup details the key enforcement actions from around the world, painting a clear picture of a shadow industry under increasing pressure from regulators who are tackling everything from large-scale smuggling to local retail violations.
Singapore: Man Charged with Distributing Nearly 3 Tonnes of Vapes
Date:Â July 14, 2025
A 21-year-old Malaysian man was charged under the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act after allegedly distributing approximately 2,915 kg of vaporizers in a single day. This case highlights the scale of illegal distribution in the city-state, where authorities have seized $41 million worth of vapes between January 2024 and March 2025.
News Source: The Straits Times
Poland: British American Tobacco Considers Legal Action Over Seized E-Cigarettes
Date:Â July 17, 2025
British American Tobacco (BAT) is contemplating legal action against Polish customs authorities (KAS) following the seizure of over 200,000 e-cigarette cartridges. BAT alleges the legally imported goods were deliberately held until after a new, higher excise tax rate took effect on July 1, 2025, a move the company’s lawyers argue could be considered an illegal “commercial expropriation.”
News Source: Biznes Alert
United Kingdom: Leigh Shop Owner Sentenced for Illicit Vapes and Cigarettes
Date:Â July 16, 2025
A shop owner in Leigh, Greater Manchester, received a suspended prison sentence and a £1,400 fine after being found with over £60,000 worth of illicit goods. The haul included 1,300 illicit vapes that exceeded the UK’s legal 2ml tank volume limit and lacked proper packaging and health warnings.
News Source: Leigh Journal
Turkey: Customs Seizes 451 Million Lira Worth of Illicit Cigarettes and Vapes
Date:Â July 20, 2025
Turkey’s Ministry of Commerce announced that Customs Enforcement teams seized 6,572,000 units of illicit cigarettes and electronic cigarettes in 2025, valued at approximately 451.6 million lira. The seizures included 4,422,000 electronic cigarettes as part of the country’s “Smokeless Turkey” initiative.
News Source: Demirören Haber Ajansı (DHA)
United Kingdom: Newport Trading Standards Seizes £6.5m in Illicit Goods
Date:Â July 18, 2025
Trading Standards officers in Newport, Wales, seized goods worth £6.5 million between March 2024 and April 2025. The haul from 41 raids included over 300,000 illicit cigarettes and 12,400 “unsafe” vapes. The high value was largely attributed to counterfeit items being valued at the price of their genuine counterparts.
News Source: Nation.Cymru
Brazil: Man Convicted for Smuggling E-Cigarettes in ParaÃba
Date:Â July 21, 2025
The Federal Public Ministry (MPF) in Brazil secured the conviction of a man for smuggling imported e-cigarettes, the sale of which is prohibited by the health agency Anvisa. Authorities seized 548 foreign e-cigarette units, mostly from China and Paraguay. The man was sentenced to 4 years in a semi-open prison regime.
News Source: Repórter PB
Kazakhstan: Trucks Filled with Vapes Stopped at Russian Border
Date:Â July 18, 2025
Kazakhstan’s Agency for Financial Monitoring (AFM) reported the detention of two trucks arriving from the Russian Federation carrying a large shipment of prohibited products, including 13,000 e-cigarette devices and 2,000 units of vape liquid. Two individuals were sentenced to six months in prison.
News Source: Zakon.kz
Singapore: Teenager Charged with Selling Vapes via WhatsApp
Date:Â July 22, 2025
A 19-year-old Singaporean was charged with three offenses under the Tobacco Act for advertising, selling, and possessing vapes. She allegedly sold disposable vapes and posted advertisements for e-cigarettes on WhatsApp. If convicted, she faces fines and potential jail time.
News Source: Channel NewsAsia
Russia: Rospotrebnadzor Uncovers Violations Totaling 1.6 Million Rubles
Date:Â July 22, 2025
The Tula regional office of Russia’s consumer rights watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, conducted 156 inspections in the first half of 2025, seizing 5,200 packs of illegal products, including liquids for electronic cigarettes. The violations resulted in fines totaling 1.6 million rubles.
News Source: RIA.City
Malaysia: PGA Seizes E-Cigarette Liquid Worth RM125,000
Date:Â July 23, 2025
The General Operations Force (PGA) in Kelantan, Malaysia, seized 1,242 units of e-cigarette liquid and 36 boxes of e-cigarette devices during a raid in Tanah Merah. The total value of the seized goods was estimated at RM125,000. A 43-year-old man was detained for failing to produce valid permits.
News Source: Harian Metro
Vietnam: E-Cigarettes Hidden in “Perfume” Shipments, Ring Busted
Date:Â July 23, 2025
Hanoi police dismantled a large-scale e-cigarette trafficking ring, indicting 14 individuals and seizing 127,000 products valued at nearly 40 billion Vietnamese dong. The group allegedly smuggled the products from China and distributed them through closed social media groups, often mislabeling shipments as “perfume” or “cosmetics.”
News Source: VTV
Thailand: Over 8.3 Million Baht of E-Cigarettes Smuggled from Malaysia Seized
Date:Â July 23, 2025
Highway police in Ratchaburi province, Thailand, arrested a 41-year-old woman driving a truck loaded with 23,760 units of pre-packaged e-cigarettes worth more than 8.3 million baht. The shipment was allegedly smuggled across the border from Malaysia and was destined for distributors in Bangkok.
News Source: ASEAN NOW
Germany: Customs Discovers Several Tonnes of Illegal E-Cigarettes
Date:Â July 24, 2025
Customs officials in Emmerich, Germany, seized 3.3 tonnes of illegal e-cigarettes from a truck that had entered from the Netherlands. The untaxed products contained over 753 liters of e-liquid. A subsequent raid on the recipient company uncovered an additional 190 liters. The total tax evasion was estimated at over €245,000.
News Source: dpa-AFX Compact / markets.traderfox.com
USA: Redding, California Police Crackdown Leads to Seizures and Citations
Date:Â July 24, 2025
The Redding Police Department in California conducted a series of enforcement operations targeting the sale of illegal flavored vape products, which are banned in the state. Officers confiscated over 600 flavored tobacco products from one smoke shop and over 300 flavored vape products from another. The owner of the second shop is now facing charges.
News Source: KRCRTV News
This collection of enforcement actions from July 2025 demonstrates a clear and intensifying global trend. Governments and law enforcement agencies are no longer turning a blind eye to the illicit vape trade, which has flourished through cross-border smuggling and sophisticated online sales tactics. The consistent focus on non-compliant products, tax evasion, and sales to minors indicates a unified, worldwide effort to bring the vaping market under stricter regulatory control to protect public health and state revenues.
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