The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) and the FIOD have executed major raids across Zuid-Holland and Noord-Brabant, seizing hundreds of thousands of illegal vaping products and millions of illicit cigarettes. This aggressive two-week crackdown directly targets the black market distribution of banned sweet-flavored vapes and untaxed tobacco.
Read moreTag Archive for: Black Market
The advocacy group Prohibition Does Not Work (PDNW) has published a damning report concluding that the Netherlands’ 2024 ban on non-tobacco vape flavors has completely undermined market control. Implemented to prevent a perceived ‘youth gateway effect,’ the restrictive policy has instead fueled a massive illicit market and inadvertently pushed consumers back to combustible cigarettes.
Read moreThe Australian Border Force (ABF) and multi-agency partners have seized over one kilotonne of illicit tobacco under Operation PRINTWALL. Fueled by a $188.5 million government investment, this coordinated crackdown on the black market has yielded record border interceptions and prompted the introduction of strict new anti-crime legislation.
Read moreThe Trump administration’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued draft guidance to authorize regulated, adult-oriented flavored vapes. This March 2026 policy shift occurs against the backdrop of a U.S. market heavily dominated by unregulated Chinese imports, aiming to reclaim the industry while offering proven smoking cessation tools to adults.
Read moreA new University of Cape Town (UCT) study reveals that approximately 60% of cigarettes sold in South Africa are illicit, driven by weak regulatory enforcement and consumer habits formed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read moreExplosive growth in Germany’s illicit vaping sector is being driven by a 60% price hike following a doubling of e-liquid taxes since 2022.
Read moreThe European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) issued a formal opinion on February 18, warning that abrupt increases in tobacco taxation could inadvertently fuel the illicit trade. Analyzing the European Commission’s July 2025 directive review, the advisory body argues that excessive levies undermine fiscal revenue and public health goals. The EESC advocates for a “proportionate and gradual” reform that distinguishes between combustible tobacco and non-combustible products like vapers.
Read moreArizona’s proposed Senate Bill 1367 (SB1367) aims to combat the influx of illegal vaping devices by targeting the supply chain upstream. The legislation would require wholesalers to provide documentation proving the federal authorization and lawful origin of their products, empowering law enforcement to seize illegal shipments before they reach retailers and schools.
Read moreBrazil’s National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) and the Federal Public Ministry (MPF) have signed a five-year agreement to intensify the crackdown on illegal electronic cigarettes. The partnership aims to enforce Resolution RDC 855/2024, which bans the manufacture, sale, and distribution of vapes, by combining Anvisa’s technical expertise with the MPF’s legal power.
Read moreWhile Australia has been a global leader in anti-smoking policy since the 1970s, achieving some of the lowest adult smoking rates in the OECD, its progress is currently threatened by a booming illegal tobacco market and the rise of youth vaping. High excise taxes have inadvertently fueled a black market for cheap “chop-chop” tobacco, while e-cigarettes are acting as a potential gateway for teenagers to nicotine addiction.
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