In an early morning operation this week, Victorian police stumbled upon a shocking discovery in Box Hill South: approximately 200,000 illegal e-cigarettes valued at around $8 million. The incident unfolded when officers responded to reports of a commercial burglary at a warehouse on Middleborough Road around 4 a.m. on Thursday.
“Upon arrival, we found over 1,000 boxes filled with illegal vapes,” the police stated in a recent press release. This unexpected haul triggered a follow-up notification to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), who will oversee the investigation, given that possessing a commercial quantity of illegal vapes constitutes a federal offense.
Footage from the scene reveals a forklift busy transporting pallets of vapes, with some boxes labeled items like “Apple Grape Ice” and “Cherry Pomegranate.” The investigation marks the second major crackdown on the illicit tobacco and vape market in Victoria this week. Just days prior, police charged eight individuals with federal offenses, seizing around 600,000 cigarettes, vapes, and other tobacco products during raids conducted on Wednesday.
The illegal market in Victoria has escalated into a violent turf war, highlighted by more than 100 arson attacks on tobacco shops across the state in the past year.
