Government agencies including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized more than $7 million worth of illegal e-cigarette products from a warehouse in Miami last week, announced the FDA.
The 628,000 unauthorized e-cigarette products included mostly flavored, disposable e-cigarettes as well as some packs, kits and batteries and included some brands that may appeal to youth, such as Geek Bar. The products originated in China and were intended for shipment to U.S. states.
“An ‘All Government’ approach is critical to preventing unauthorized e-cigarettes from entering the United States” said Brian King, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products. “Today’s action is another step in the right direction, and we remain committed to continuing to work with our federal partners to continue to combat the entry of these illegal products head on.”
According to the FDA, “The seized products were detained and referred to Homeland Security Investigations, where agents determined that the products had been intentionally misdeclared and also undervalued—two common tactics to attempt to evade duties and detection. Upon further referral to FDA, including the agency’s Center for Tobacco Products and Office of Inspections and Investigation, field agents confirmed that the e-cigarette products lacked the mandatory premarket tobacco authorization and were therefore unauthorized for marketing or distribution in the United States.”
This seizure follows the confiscation of $76 million worth of illegal e-cigarettes in October.
The FDA also recently updated two import alerts that “separate imported e-cigarette products from all other tobacco products and provide clearer instructions to FDA staff in the field, as well as our federal partners and the wider trade community—including importers, customs brokers, filers and others,” it said. FDA also said it can place a product or firm on an import alert if they appear to be in violation of FDA laws and regulations, and then detain future shipments of the product without having to test or otherwise physically examine it.