CBP, FDA agents confiscate $1.08M worth of illegal vaping pens from China
June 25 (UPI) -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection said on Tuesday that its agents in Chicago seized 53,700 electronic nicotine delivery systems, or vaping pens, from China worth $1.08 million in violation of the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act.
The discovery comes on the heels of the Food and Drug Administration creating a multi-agency task force to combat illegal distribution and sale of e-cigarettes. Officials from the Customs and the FDA in Chicago determined the cargo from China was unlawful.
The shipment was headed for a wholesaler in Mississippi, officials said. Authorities said the 179 boxes were falsely labeled as electronic atomizers, a common tactic used by smugglers.
"Our officers are dedicated to identifying and intercepting these types of shipments that could potentially harm the health and wellbeing of people within our communities," LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, director of the CBP field operations in Chicago, said in a statement.
"Customs and Border Protection's trade enforcement mission places a significant emphasis on intercepting illicit products that could harm American consumers and we will continue to work with our consumer product safety partner to identify and seize unsafe and illicit goods."
