Hanoi Cracks Down on Vape Smuggling, Seizes 500 Illegal Items

Nov.18.2024

Hanoi Cracks Down on Vape Smuggling, Seizes 500 Illegal Items

Hanoi authorities intensify enforcement, seizing a large number of illegal vape products and temporarily detaining over 500 smuggled items.

The Market Management Department in Hanoi, Vietnam, recently reported uncovering multiple cases of suspected smuggling involving vapes and heated tobacco products, according to B News.

The second team of the Market Management Department inspected a merchant. During the inspection, the authorities temporarily confiscated 80 items, including 50 disposable vape devices and 30 bottles of vape liquid. These products were found to lack invoices and certificates, and were deemed to be smuggled goods.

On the same day, authorities discovered another merchant selling 70 illegal items, including 50 disposable vape devices and 20 bottles of vape liquid. The inspection team has temporarily confiscated all the prohibited items for proper legal action to be taken.

Following this, authorities temporarily seized a total of 420 foreign-produced, unregistered disposable vapes and e-liquid products during increased inspections of vapes and heated tobacco products.

Currently, these cases are under investigation and verification to be handled according to the law.

References:

[1] Xử lý cơ sở kinh doanh thuốc lá điện tử, thuốc lá nung nóng có dấu hiệu nhập lậu

Also Read:

[1] Vietnam Rejects E-Cigarette Licenses and Tightens Control on New Tobacco Products

[2] Vietnam Proposes Tobacco Law Revision to Ban New Products

[3] Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade considers new tobacco law

[4] Vietnam Ministry of Health urges total ban on new tobacco products, citing health risks

[5] Combatting Tobacco Smuggling: Effective Policy Solutions for Vietnam

[6] Vietnam Officials Destroy 34,000 Illegal E-cigarette Devices

[7] Vietnamese Parliament Supports Ban on E-Cigarettes and Heated Tobacco

[8] Vietnam Health Ministry Denounces Safety Claims of New Tobacco

[9] The Emerging Health Risks of E-cigarette and HNB Tobacco

[10] Proposal to Ban E-Cigarettes in Vietnamese Schools: Health Concerns

#Asia #Disposable e-cigarettes #Regulation #Vietnam

China Tobacco Regulation Shift：Policy Updates and Market Impact

China Tobacco Regulation Shift：Policy Updates and Market Impact

GAO Audit Finds Nearly 132,000 FDA Tobacco Applications Waiting an Average 1,266 Days as Nicotine Pouch Pilot Practices Move Into Vape PMTA Reviews

GAO Audit Finds Nearly 132,000 FDA Tobacco Applications Waiting an Average 1,266 Days as Nicotine Pouch Pilot Practices Move Into Vape PMTA Reviews

A U.S. Government Accountability Office audit found that 131,915 tobacco product applications submitted to the FDA since 2018 remained without a final review as of December 31, 2025, with pending applications waiting an average of 1,266 days. GAO also found FDA lacks the data needed to systematically determine whether scientific reviews meet applicable timelines. HHS agreed to upgrade the agency's tracking systems. At the same time, FDA has begun applying lessons from its nicotine pouch PMTA pilot to e-cigarette reviews, while changes to enforcement policy and electronic submissions are making the specific stage of a PMTA increasingly relevant to market access.

NAS 2026 | FDA CTP Director Says PMTA Pathway Is “Predicated on Tobacco Harm Reduction”

NAS 2026 | FDA CTP Director Says PMTA Pathway Is “Predicated on Tobacco Harm Reduction”

At the 2026 New Approaches Summit in New York, FDA Center for Tobacco Products Director Bret Koplow said the PMTA pathway is “predicated on tobacco harm reduction.” He outlined four CTP priorities: youth prevention, helping adults quit or switch to lower-risk products, improving relative-risk communication, and reducing unauthorized products. Koplow also addressed flavored e-cigarettes, public risk perceptions, industry credibility and efforts to make PMTA reviews more efficient and predictable.

JTI’s Nordic Spirit Signs Co-op Live Partnership Ahead of New UK Nicotine Sponsorship Restrictions

JTI’s Nordic Spirit Signs Co-op Live Partnership Ahead of New UK Nicotine Sponsorship Restrictions

JTI nicotine pouch brand Nordic Spirit has entered a long-term partnership with Manchester’s Co-op Live, becoming the venue’s Official Nicotine Pouch Partner. The 23,500-capacity venue is the UK’s largest indoor live entertainment arena. Nordic Spirit will run in-venue activations for existing adult nicotine consumers and sell products at selected arena bars. The agreement was entered into before the relevant UK sponsorship restrictions were introduced, while the government intends to implement a comprehensive ban on advertising and sponsorship of vaping and nicotine products from June 1, 2027.

As Regulators Focus on Nicotine Pouch Child Safety, Safeguard Pursues an External Packaging Route

As Regulators Focus on Nicotine Pouch Child Safety, Safeguard Pursues an External Packaging Route

As regulators pay closer attention to child safety in nicotine pouches, manufacturers face a practical challenge: how to strengthen child-resistant packaging without unnecessarily reworking products, production lines and regulatory submissions already in place. In a written interview with 2Firsts, Chemular detailed Safeguard’s external packaging approach, its customer-specific testing requirements and possible PMTA pathways. The model remains early-stage, but it offers a new way to think about an increasingly important regulatory and manufacturing issue.

Industry Insight

Former Roche Neuroscience and Rare Diseases Communications Director Ria Kioupritzi Joins PMI as Scientific Affairs Director

Former Roche Neuroscience and Rare Diseases Communications Director Ria Kioupritzi Joins PMI as Scientific Affairs Director

Eleftheria (Ria) Kioupritzi, a biopharmaceutical professional with more than 15 years of experience, has joined Philip Morris International as Director Scientific Affairs within Corporate Affairs. She previously served at Roche as Senior Scientific Communications Director for Neuroscience and Rare Diseases and worked extensively in spinal muscular atrophy. Her earlier career also covered competitive intelligence, clinical and regulatory monitoring, pipeline development and launch preparation. During her time working in Roche's SMA field, Evrysdi passed through several U.S. FDA milestones, including its initial approval, an expanded indication for younger infants and approval of a tablet formulation. Public records do not show that Kioupritzi herself led the FDA submissions.

FDA Appoints Former Tobacco Enforcement Deputy Jessica Zeller as Director as Agency Weighs PMTA Framework Changes

FDA Appoints Former Tobacco Enforcement Deputy Jessica Zeller as Director as Agency Weighs PMTA Framework Changes

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has named Jessica Zeller director of the Center for Tobacco Products' (CTP) Office of Compliance and Enforcement (OCE), effective November 1, 2026. Zeller, the office's inaugural deputy director, returns from medical device manufacturer Edwards Lifesciences with more than 20 years of regulatory and legal experience. The appointment follows CTP leadership changes and adjustments to tobacco regulation. Bret Koplow became permanent CTP director in September; the FDA revised enforcement priorities for unauthorized e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches in May and announced faster PMTA review procedures. On September 28, the agency said it would evaluate changes to the existing PMTA regulatory framework, including potential rulemaking to replace it.

Oct.20 by 2Firsts Perspectives

Related Topics

News Regulation

Related Read

GAO Audit Finds Nearly 132,000 FDA Tobacco Applications Waiting an Average 1,266 Days as Nicotine Pouch Pilot Practices Move Into Vape PMTA Reviews

GAO Audit Finds Nearly 132,000 FDA Tobacco Applications Waiting an Average 1,266 Days as Nicotine Pouch Pilot Practices Move Into Vape PMTA Reviews

NAS 2026 | FDA CTP Director Says PMTA Pathway Is “Predicated on Tobacco Harm Reduction”

NAS 2026 | FDA CTP Director Says PMTA Pathway Is “Predicated on Tobacco Harm Reduction”

JTI’s Nordic Spirit Signs Co-op Live Partnership Ahead of New UK Nicotine Sponsorship Restrictions

JTI’s Nordic Spirit Signs Co-op Live Partnership Ahead of New UK Nicotine Sponsorship Restrictions

As Regulators Focus on Nicotine Pouch Child Safety, Safeguard Pursues an External Packaging Route

As Regulators Focus on Nicotine Pouch Child Safety, Safeguard Pursues an External Packaging Route

Former Roche Neuroscience and Rare Diseases Communications Director Ria Kioupritzi Joins PMI as Scientific Affairs Director

Former Roche Neuroscience and Rare Diseases Communications Director Ria Kioupritzi Joins PMI as Scientific Affairs Director

FDA Appoints Former Tobacco Enforcement Deputy Jessica Zeller as Director as Agency Weighs PMTA Framework Changes

FDA Appoints Former Tobacco Enforcement Deputy Jessica Zeller as Director as Agency Weighs PMTA Framework Changes

2Firsts Perspectives