Exclusive with LAMI's Southeast Asia Director Mr. Miao

In Sabah, Malaysia’s General Operations Force (GOF) seized thousands of e-cigarette devices, vapes and e-liquids worth more than RM635,000 and detained 23 people during a simultaneous integrated operation across seven districts.

In Nepal’s Mustang district, authorities seized 80 cartons of e-cigarettes valued at NPR 22,459,320 (approximately US$150,000) in Lomanthang Rural Municipality-4, Nechung, and detained a 32-year-old man, Pema Lama. The account says the e-cigarettes were allegedly brought illegally from China three to four days earlier and loaded near the Korala Nepal–China border point before being intercepted.

The report says disposable vapes are sold at more than 11 million units per month and often end up in landfills after flavored nicotine juice runs out, along with lithium-ion batteries, microcontrollers, and LEDs, increasing the risk of waste fires. A New York City maker trio known as Paper Bag Team has built “Vape Synth” by cracking open spent Elf Bar cartridges—specifically the EB BC5000—and hacking them into tiny digital instruments.

New Zealand vape retailer Shosha is accused of using hidden, white-on-white text on its website to promote refillable and disposable vapes. A Health Ministry spokesperson said it could not comment on individual businesses’ compliance status while matters are being assessed, and said the ministry continues to monitor digital advertising and promotional activity and will act where it considers there may be a breach.

Altria on December 19 confirmed that six on! PLUS nicotine pouch products had received U.S. FDA marketing authorization, ending a PMTA review lasting more than a year after the company moved ahead with launch plans before clearance.

Türkiye’s Trade Minister Ömer Bolat said that over the past five years, authorities carried out 4,589 operations seizing 28,683,985 e-cigarette devices and parts and 1,070,586 grams/ml of e-liquid, valued at TL 1,762,796,000 (about USD 40,544,308).