Fijian authorities have stepped up efforts to dismantle networks illegally importing and selling vape products, with the Tobacco Community Enforcement Unit declaring tracking and prosecution of offenders a top priority. The unit’s manager, Maleli Baleiwera, made the announcement during World No Tobacco Day last week and outlined how criminals are evading regulation and moving product into the local market.
Baleiwera said a common tactic is for importers to declare consignments of e-cigarettes and vape liquids as “personal use” at customs, sidestepping licensing fees and permit requirements. Once cleared, he told attendees, some of those goods are then marketed and sold online through social media channels such as Facebook and Instagram, making detection and tracing more difficult for regulators.
“The major challenge facing regulators was the way some individuals import vape or e-cigarette products under the declaration of personal use, avoiding licensing fees and permit requirements,” Baleiwera said. He added that enforcement teams are pursuing such operators and that legal action is already under way. “We have already taken cases to court involving people importing and illegally selling tobacco products without permits from the ministry,” he said.
A recent joint operation with the police in Nausori produced immediate results: two people identified as selling vape products online were located and apprehended, Baleiwera confirmed. He said the pair will face charges and that authorities will “deal with them accordingly,” signalling a more aggressive posture by enforcement agencies toward online vendors who flout import and sales rules.
Current penalties for illegal importation and distribution of tobacco-related products sit at about FJ$5,000, Baleiwera said, but that figure is being reviewed as part of broader legislative reforms aimed at strengthening deterrence. “We are proposing increased penalties to discourage people from engaging in the illegal trade,” he said, without specifying the new levels under consideration.
Beyond the enforcement and revenue aspects, Baleiwera appealed to public health concerns, challenging a common perception that vaping is a safer alternative to smoking. “Similar to tobacco companies claiming cigarettes are safe, some people claim vape is healthier than cigarettes. That is false,” he said. “The only healthy option is clean air, which is freely available,” he added, reiterating the unit’s health-focused rationale for curbing the unregulated market.
Surveillance and targeted operations will continue, Baleiwera warned, as authorities work to disrupt the supply chain from import through to online resale. The stronger enforcement drive follows growing visibility of vape advertising and sales on social media, and comes as regulators push to close loopholes being exploited to bring unapproved tobacco-related products into Fiji.