Cambodia: Phnom Penh authorities seize 2,000+ vape devices and arrest two alleged distributors

Jan.13

Kiripost reports that authorities seized more than 2,000 electronic smoking devices and arrested two alleged distributors in Phnom Penh’s Toul Kork district, prompting health advocates to warn that inconsistent enforcement is undermining Cambodia’s crackdown on illegal e-cigarettes and shisha.

Key points

• Timing: raid on Jan. 9, 2026; report published Jan. 12, 2026

• Seizures: 769 e-cigarette machines and 1,930 smoking devices (2,000+ total)

• Arrests: two alleged distributors

• Coordination: anti-narcotics bureau of Phnom Penh Military Police with Toul Kork district forces; deputy prosecutor Sinn Reaksa referenced

• Regulation: PM Hun Manet-signed rule (Oct.) cites written warnings and business license revocation/suspension for distribution/sales/advertising

• Advocate view: patchy enforcement fuels renewed advertising/sales and youth use; no specific Cambodia trend research cited

2Firsts, January 13, 2026 – According to Kiripost, authorities seized more than 2,000 electronic smoking devices and arrested two alleged distributors in Phnom Penh’s Toul Kork district, drawing warnings from health advocates that inconsistent enforcement is limiting the effectiveness of Cambodia’s crackdown on illegal e-cigarettes and shisha.

The Phnom Penh Gendarmerie said that on Jan. 9, local authorities raided a house in Village 10, Boeung Kak 2, Toul Kork, suspected of being a base for selling electronic cigarettes. Officers found 769 electronic cigarette machines and 1,930 smoking devices and arrested two people. The operation followed collaboration involving the anti-narcotics bureau of the Phnom Penh Military Police, the Toul Kork District Military Police Base Force, and deputy prosecutor Sinn Reaksa of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, the report said.

The gendarmerie said the action follows recent government measures prohibiting the import, distribution, advertising and use of electronic smoking devices and shisha to improve public health, and said the Phnom Penh Military Police has been continuously preventing and suppressing e-cigarette use in line with the Prime Minister’s orders.

The report cited a regulation signed by Prime Minister Hun Manet in October stating that those who distribute, sell and advertise e-cigarettes, chemical smoking and shisha will be punished with written warnings and the revocation or suspension of business licenses.

Mom Kong, executive director of the Cambodian Movement for Health (CMH), told Kiripost that seizures have happened before, but inconsistent action against perpetrators has limited effectiveness and allowed vape sales to continue. He said when measures pause, advertising and selling of vapes increase, contributing to higher e-cigarette use among Cambodian youth. He also said there is currently no specific research on vape and shisha trends in Cambodia and that such a study would take time.

Photo credit: Kiripost

References:

[1] Phnom Penh Authorities Seize Vapes, but Advocates Say Patchy Enforcement Fuels Youth Use

Also Read:

[1] Cambodia Enforces Full Ban on E-Cigarettes and Shisha to Protect Youth

[2] Cambodia’s E-Cigarette Ban Extends to Foreign Investment—Is China or Vietnam Involved?

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