TGA and Victoria Police Crack Down on Illegal Vapes in Melbourne
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Victoria Police and the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) have launched a major operation targeting illegal vapes in Melbourne, seizing products valued at over $40,000, including more than 24,000 nicotine pouches. This enforcement action focuses on retailers suspected of unlawfully selling vaping products, ensuring compliance with Australia’s strict vaping laws (TGA, 2025).
During the two-day blitz on Chapel Street, police also confiscated over 110,000 illicit cigarettes, 40 kilograms of loose tobacco, and cash linked to illegal sales.
Disrupting Criminal Networks with the National Vaping Enforcement Framework
This operation is part of the National Vaping Enforcement Framework, designed to deter the sale of illegal vapes and dismantle organised criminal networks profiting from unlawful vaping products.
Professor Robyn Langham, Acting Head of the TGA, highlighted the public health importance of these measures:
“These seizures demonstrate the TGA and Victoria Police’s commitment to preventing illegal vape sales and protecting Australians, especially young people” (TGA, 2025).
Detective Inspector Graham Banks of Victoria Police’s Taskforce Lunar noted that illicit tobacco and vape sales fund serious crime, including arson, firearms offences, and extortion. Operations like this help police focus enforcement efforts on high-risk areas and collect vital intelligence to prevent further illegal activity (TGA, 2025).
Understanding Vaping Laws and Legal Penalties
In Australia, vaping products are only legally available through pharmacies for smoking cessation or managing nicotine dependence. Retailers such as vape shops, tobacconists, and convenience stores cannot supply these products, even with a prescription.
Violating vaping laws can result in severe penalties, including civil fines of up to $2.31 million for individuals, $23.1 million for companies, or criminal charges with up to seven years’ imprisonment (TGA, 2025).
Protecting Communities and Preventing Harm
Since the introduction of vaping reforms in January 2024, Australian authorities have seized over 12.2 million illegal vapes, worth more than $612 million, keeping them out of communities and protecting public health (TGA, 2025).