Illegal E-Cigarette Seizures in the UK Soaring; Authorities Crack Down

Industry Insight by 2FIRSTS.ai
Jun.28.2023
Illegal E-Cigarette Seizures in the UK Soaring; Authorities Crack Down
BBC reports authorities in Dover Port, UK has seized nearly 500,000 illegal e-cigarettes since the beginning of the year. Law enforcement officers recently seized 13,000 e-cigarettes containing nicotine e-liquid in excess of the allowed capacity. Customs and the MHRA have conducted strict inspections at Heathrow Airport, confiscating illegal e-cigarette products. UK authorities have seized a total of 2.5 million illegal e-cigarettes since early 2020.

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reports on June 28th, nearly 500,000 illegal e-cigarettes have been seized in the port of Dover, United Kingdom since the beginning of this year.

 

Law enforcement officials in Doverport have seized 13,000 e-cigarettes containing e-liquid containing nicotine, with a capacity exceeding the regulated limit by nine times within a week. According to UK law, e-cigarettes are restricted to a maximum e-liquid capacity of 2ml, equivalent to approximately 600 puffs. However, these illicit products were found to provide over 10,000 puffs, surpassing the legal capacity by more than tenfold.

 

In addition, on June 27th, an informant revealed to 2FIRSTS that UK customs, in collaboration with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), conducted a strict inspection of a large number of e-cigarette products at Heathrow Airport (LHR Airport). The informant stated, "The inspection was very thorough, and any products found were immediately confiscated with no opportunity for recourse." They further explained that a joint enforcement operation had already taken place in March this year between the MHRA and customs at LHR Airport, resulting in the seizure of numerous products.

 

According to a previous report by The Guardian, after compiling public information from 125 local governments in the UK, it has been found that the UK Trading Standards Department has seized around 2.5 million illegal e-cigarettes since the beginning of 2020.

 

References:

 

Kent officials issue alert over illegal vapes amid rise in underage vaping

 

This document has been generated through artificial intelligence translation and is provided solely for the purposes of industry discourse and learning. Please note that the intellectual property rights of the content belong to the original media source or author. Owing to certain limitations in the translation process, there may be discrepancies between the translated text and the original content. We recommend referring to the original source for complete accuracy. In case of any inaccuracies, we invite you to reach out to us with corrections. If you believe any content has infringed upon your rights, please contact us immediately for its removal.

Singapore Government Rebuts Vape Advocacy Group Criticism, Says It Is Linked to Tobacco Companies
Singapore Government Rebuts Vape Advocacy Group Criticism, Says It Is Linked to Tobacco Companies
Singapore’s Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam rejected claims from the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (Caphra) that the country’s tough vaping ban is “fearmongering.” He stressed that such arguments mirror those used by drug legalization advocates and pointed out that the group is linked to the tobacco industry.
Sep.01 by 2FIRSTS.ai
Samsung Wins US E-Cigarette Battery Explosion Lawsuit; Judge Rules It Didn’t Enter Consumer Market
Samsung Wins US E-Cigarette Battery Explosion Lawsuit; Judge Rules It Didn’t Enter Consumer Market
Samsung SDI escaped liability in a U.S. lawsuit over a vape battery explosion after an appeals court ruled it had no direct ties to the consumer vape market and took steps to prevent unauthorized use of its batteries.
Jul.16 by 2FIRSTS.ai
New Russian Law Comes Into Effect: Unlabeled Nicotine Products in Circulation Could Face Up to Three Years in Prison
New Russian Law Comes Into Effect: Unlabeled Nicotine Products in Circulation Could Face Up to Three Years in Prison
From August 3, 2025, Russia's new law penalizes unlabeled nicotine products, including e-liquids. Offenders may face fines up to 500,000 rubles ($5,000), forced labor, or up to three years in prison with an extra 120,000 rubles ($1,200) fine. Violations over 100,000 rubles ($1,000) are large-scale, over 1,000,000 rubles ($10,000) are especially large-scale.
Aug.04 by 2FIRSTS.ai
Company | Imperial Brands CEO: Expects double-digit NGP growth over the next five years; ZONE nicotine pouches reach ~3% share in the U.S.
Company | Imperial Brands CEO: Expects double-digit NGP growth over the next five years; ZONE nicotine pouches reach ~3% share in the U.S.
At the Barclays Global Consumer Staples Conference, the CEO of Imperial Brands outlined the company’s 2025–2030 strategy and direction for its Next-Generation Products (NGP). He said the NGP business has been “reset,” delivering double-digit growth over the past two years, with the aim of sustaining this pace for the next five years. In response to disposable-vape bans in the UK and France, the company has completed a pivot to rechargeable pod systems, doubling its UK market share and surpassing
Sep.12 by 2FIRSTS.ai
Research Brief | Saudi Arabia youth prefer high-nicotine e-cigarettes; retail store and online are the main purchasing channels
Research Brief | Saudi Arabia youth prefer high-nicotine e-cigarettes; retail store and online are the main purchasing channels
Recent survey research shows that e-cigarette users in Saudi Arabia are predominantly males aged 18–28, with nearly half being “dual users” of both conventional cigarettes and e-cigarettes. Purchases are concentrated in brick-and-mortar retail stores (43%) and e-commerce platforms (27%), and the main drivers are flavor variety and the motivation to quit smoking.
Sep.05 by 2FIRSTS.ai
Philip Morris South Africa calls for science-based tobacco regulation, emphasizing a "risk-proportionate" framework to accelerate smoking rate reduction
Philip Morris South Africa calls for science-based tobacco regulation, emphasizing a "risk-proportionate" framework to accelerate smoking rate reduction
Philip Morris International (PMI) South Africa calls for scientific regulation of e-cigarettes to promote tobacco harm reduction.
Aug.29 by 2FIRSTS.ai