TGA issue $66,600 fines for three Sydney companies illegally importing vaping products

Three Sydney companies and two people have been slapped with a $66,600 fine after they were caught importing nearly 102,000 illegal vapes.

TGA crackdown on illegal vapes.

Three Sydney companies and two people have been fined $66,600 by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for importing illegal vapes.

Nine infringement notices worth $66,600 were issued for the alleged unlawful importation of a combined total of 101,900 nicotine vaping products.

It is alleged that JL Partners, Wjwing Pty Ltd, TSJ Logistics Pty Ltd and two individuals – one a director of one of the companies and the other a director of all three companies – attempted to import nicotine vaping products.

The TGA has issued fines for illegal vapes. Picture: istock

However, they were not registered in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) and were not exempt from being registered.

The unapproved nicotine vaping products were intercepted by the Australian Border Force and will be seized and destroyed under advice from the TGA.

Currently there’s no TGA approved nicotine vaping products in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods. Adults can legally access unapproved vapes through pharmacies or online with a script, but none of them have been assessed for safety.

Vaping use is on the rise in Australia. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, e-cigarette use by Australians aged 14 or older has more than doubled from 2016 to 2019 and is most common among smokers aged 18 to 24 at 19 per cent.

Originally published as TGA issue $66,600 fines for three Sydney companies illegally importing vaping products