Brazilian Police Find More Than 40,000 E-Cigarettes in Truck With Hidden Safe

Apr.13
Brazilian Police Find More Than 40,000 E-Cigarettes in Truck With Hidden Safe
Military police in Brazil’s Paraná state found more than 40,000 e-cigarettes inside a truck with a hidden safe on April 8 in Campina Grande do Sul, in the Curitiba metropolitan area.

Key Takeaways

 

  • Paraná military police said they found more than 40,000 e-cigarettes in a truck in Campina Grande do Sul on April 8.
  • Police said the driver refused to open the hidden compartment, and officers accessed the safe through the underside of the vehicle.
  • The driver said he had left Foz do Iguaçu in western Paraná and was heading to São Paulo.
  • Police seized the truck, the vape cargo, about BRL 6,000 in cash, and two mobile phones, and arrested the driver.
  • Brazil’s health regulator Anvisa says the manufacture, sale, import, promotion, and distribution of all electronic smoking devices have been banned in the country since 2009.

 

2Firsts, April 13, 2026

 

According to the report, military police in Brazil’s Paraná state found more than 40,000 e-cigarettes inside a truck with a hidden safe on April 8 in Campina Grande do Sul, part of the Curitiba metropolitan region.

 

Police accessed the hidden compartment from under the vehicle

 

According to officers, the driver refused to open the concealed compartment, and police had to enter the safe from below the vehicle through the floor area.

 

Police said they found high-value goods inside the compartment. The driver, whose name was not disclosed, was arrested.

 

Driver said the truck was traveling from Foz do Iguaçu to São Paulo

 

Police also said the driver told them he had departed from Foz do Iguaçu in western Paraná and was headed to São Paulo.

 

The truck, the cargo, about BRL 6,000 in cash, and two mobile phones were seized.

 

Brazil has banned e-cigarette sales since 2009

 

According to Brazil’s National Health Surveillance Agency, Anvisa, the country has prohibited the manufacture, sale, import, promotion, and distribution of all types of electronic smoking devices since 2009.

 

The report also said Anvisa published a report in 2024 assessing the impact of the ban in Brazil in recent years and reviewing the situation in countries where sales have been allowed. 

 

Image source: G1

 

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