Sept. 10 (UPI) — A multi-U.S. agency sting in Chicago uncovered millions of illegal e-cig vape units worth nearly $90 million in estimated retail value, U.S. officials said Wednesday, calling it the “largest-ever seizure of this kind.”
The joint federal operation by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency uncovered and seized more than $86 million worth in unauthorized e-cigarette products in a targeted sting of 37 largely Chinese importers.
On Wednesday, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary reiterated that children, in particular, “should not be using potentially dangerous, addicting products that have been snuck into” the United States, adding that products not federally-approved will be seized, detained or likely destroyed.
Nearly all the illegal-designated shipments originated via China, according to U.S. officials.
“The FDA and our federal partners are taking strong actions to shore up America’s borders and stop the flow of illegal vaping products into our country,” Makary added in a statement.
Both FDA and CBP personnel determined “many” of the Illinois shipments contained “vague” and “misleading” product descriptions with inaccurate values, in what authorities added was an apparent attempt to evade shipping duties and the product reviews for import safety issues.
Officials said the federal enforcement action was part of the FDA’s “broader, aggressive” strategy to combat childhood vaping.
FDA and CBP teams identified non-compliant incoming shipments prior to the nearly $90 million sting operation.
According to the FDA, in partnership with CBP has prevented more than 6 million unauthorized e-cig products from entering the United States worth more than $120 million.
It said all the seized products lacked the “mandatory premarket authorization orders from the FDA and therefore cannot be legally marketed or distributed.”
In addition to the product seizures, the FDA contacted 37 importers and import entry filers regarding their actions.
The FDA said the 37 importers each were individually contacted and “advised that it is a federal crime to make false statements or entries to the U.S. government.”
U.S. authorities requested a reply by import filers within 30 days with requested information.
Last year, Customs and Border Protection in Chicago revealed more than $81 million in electronic nicotine products were seized in December by federal authorities only to find an additional $33.8 million in illegal products a few months later in February.
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