On 23/7, Hanoi police announced that the economic police department had broken up a major e-cigarette trafficking ring and prosecuted 15 people for smuggling. The ring leaders were Phung Thi My, 34; Trinh Minh Thanh and Tran Thi Thu Hang, both 35.
 |
Confiscated e-cigarette products. Photo: Linh Dan |
Confiscated e-cigarette products. Photo: Linh Dan
According to the police, the group purchased goods from Chinese suppliers and smuggled them into Vietnam through various routes. Once in Vietnam, the goods were transported to Hanoi by truck, stored in undisclosed locations, and then distributed to lower-level dealers.
The suspects used social media platforms to arrange sales and quickly erased their digital footprints after each transaction. During the arrests on 5/7, police seized 127,000 e-cigarette products worth approximately 40 billion VND.
Hanoi police consider this the largest e-cigarette smuggling operation uncovered in the city to date.
 |
Confiscated bottles of e-liquid. Photo: Linh Dan |
Confiscated bottles of e-liquid. Photo: Linh Dan
E-cigarettes have been officially banned in Vietnam since 1/1/2025. From 2015 to 2020, e-cigarette use among adults (aged 15 and above) increased from 0.2% to 3.6%. Among students aged 13-17, the rate rose from 2.6% (in 2019) to 8.1% (in 2023). A preliminary survey in 11 provinces and cities found that 4.3% of girls aged 11-18 used e-cigarettes in 2023.
In 2023, 1,224 people were hospitalized due to poisoning and illnesses related to e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products. These products not only pose health risks and nicotine addiction but also carry the risk of being laced with drugs, as highlighted by this case.
