The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has seized more than 70,000 vaping products held in two storage units in Sydney.
On 28 September, the TGA executed the warrants on the storage units where they found the products, which are alleged to be prescription medicines, that were not included, or otherwise exempt from inclusion, in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) and hold a street value of more than $2.1 million.
The products will now be tested at the TGA laboratories for scheduled and other dangerous ingredients. Penalties for the illegal importation or supply of counterfeit or unapproved therapeutic goods include up to five years’ imprisonment and/or a financial penalty of up to $1.25 million.
In August and September, the TGA, working collaboratively with the Australian Border Force (ABF), seized in excess of 130,000 vaping products from several premises across NSW and QLD with a combined street value of $3.9 million.
The seizure in NSW comes as Victoria launches its Lunar Taskforce to target organised crime groups and their involvement in the illicit tobacco trade in Victoria.
The taskforce will look at a broad range of criminality tied to an ongoing dispute between organised crime groups, including a recent spate of arson attacks targeting tobacco stores across the state, with police believing up to 29 fires are linked.
The TGA is urging people who suspect non-compliance in relation to therapeutic goods to contact them online.
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