New York City Seizes 1,200 Pounds of Illicit Vapes

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Sheriff Anthony Miranda, NYPD Interim Commissioner Thomas G. Donlon, and DCWP Commissioner Vilda Vera Mayuga proudly announced the successful removal of more than 1,200 pounds of illegal vaping products from the city, which are now on their way to being destroyed.

The products — all seized through the Adams administration’s “Operation Padlock to Protect” — contain batteries and other hazardous materials that must be disposed of safely. The products are being sent to the NYPD’s long-term DNA evidence destruction vendor, ENP Environmental, in Grafton, Ohio, according to a press release.

As a result of the operation, the city has seized more than $80 million in illegal products, which have been taking up a massive amount of space across NYPD’s network of evidence warehouses. Mayor Adams, today, joined members of the New York City Sherriff’s Joint Compliance Task Force — made up of the Sheriff’s Office, the NYPD, and DCWP — to participate in NYPD’s standard evidence destruction process of loading illegal substances and products to be sent to destruction in an environmentally responsible way.

Upon seizure, untaxed and illegally sold tobacco and vape products are subject to forfeiture and ultimately may be destroyed by the city. In August, Adams and the task force destroyed more than four tons, or 576 bags, of seized illegal cannabis products as part of the NYPD’s standard evidence destruction process of incinerating illegal substances and products.

“Today, we say goodbye and good riddance to products that endanger our children and undermine our quality of life,” said Adams. “From the moment we were given the additional authority we needed from the state to weed out illegal cannabis operators, our administration took swift action. Through our successful ‘Operation Padlock to Protect’ initiative, we have already shut down more than 1,200 unlicensed smoke shops, confiscated an estimated $80 million worth of illegal products, and seized thousands of illegal vapes.

“This is a major example of the significant results we are achieving in improving New Yorkers’ quality of life and builds on the gains we’ve made in keeping communities safe. Last month alone saw a decrease in homicides, robberies, burglaries, grand larcenies, transit crime, and car theft, but we know there is still more to do. Our administration will continue to focus on our mission of making New York City a safer, more affordable city, and today’s announcement is another example of just that.”