A blitz undertaken on Chapel Street retailers over two days this week has resulted in seizures of illegal vaping goods with a street value of over $40,000 and more than 24,000 nicotine pouches.
The operation, enforcing the Australian Government's world leading vaping laws, was carried out by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and Victoria Police at a number of retail premises that are alleged to have unlawfully possessed and supplied vaping goods.
During this week's operation, police separately seized over 110,000 illicit cigarettes, over 40 kg of loose illicit tobacco and a quantity of cash.
The work of the TGA and Victoria Police is underpinned by the National Vaping Enforcement Framework, which aims to deter the illicit supply of vaping goods and disrupt organised criminal networks operating to profit from illegal vapes.
"These seizures reflect the TGA and Victoria Police's commitment to disrupt the supply of unlawful vaping goods and protect the health of Australians, particularly young people. I acknowledge the support of Victoria Police in working with the TGA on this important work," said Professor Robyn Langham, acting Head of the TGA.
"Illicit tobacco remains one of the biggest sources of profit for serious and organised crime groups in Victoria, and as we have seen repeatedly, often funds further violent and harmful offending. This includes arsons that have resulted in the loss of life, as well as significant firearms use and extortions," said Detective Inspector Graham Banks from Victoria Police's Taskforce Lunar.
"Victoria Police is just one part of the overall joint approach to targeting these groups, and it's crucial that we work closely alongside other agencies such to disrupt the activities of these syndicates at all levels.
This week we have had our VIPER Taskforce out with the TGA, and operations such as this allow us to further build and share intelligence so that enforcement efforts can be further targeted.
This year we have seen a number of incidents along Chapel Street with organised crime links, so this operation also shows how we can focus on those areas where we are seeing the activities of these criminal groups play out," Detective Inspector Banks said.
Vaping products must only be supplied through a pharmacy for smoking cessation and managing nicotine dependence. It is illegal for Australian retailers such as tobacconists, vape shops and convenience stores to supply any vapes, even with a prescription.
Non-compliance can result in civil penalties of up to $2.31 million for individuals, $23.1 million for companies, or criminal charges with fines up to $1.65 million for an individual and/or 7 years' imprisonment.
Since vaping reforms began in January 2024, the TGA and partnering agencies have carried out numerous enforcement actions across Australia, and over 12.2 million illegal vapes, valued at more than $612 million, have been kept out of the community by the ABF and TGA.
Anyone needing support to quit smoking or vaping is encouraged to reach out to a health professional, call the Quitline on 137848 (13QUIT) or download the My QuitBuddy App.
