Ministry of Commerce Customs Enforcement teams on Wednesday seized TL 48 million (around $2.5 million) worth of smuggled electronic cigarettes and accessories in a truck that arrived at the Kapıkule customs gate to enter Türkiye.
According to a written statement issued by the ministry, the truck that arrived at Kapıkule was tracked and sent for X-ray scanning. The driver's suspicious behavior caught the attention of authorities, who then decided to search the vehicle.
The search discovered that though the truck was carrying legal paper products, it was also smuggling some 110,640 electronic cigarettes, 5,600 electronic cigarette accessories, 2,900 electronic cigarette liquid and 1,900 mobile phone screens hidden among the legal cargo. All of the items were seized.
It was determined that the market value of illegal products stood at TL 48.127 million.
The ministry also noted that the amount of smuggled electronic cigarettes was the highest seized at one time. An investigation into the case was launched by the Edirne Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.
Purchasing and distributing electronic cigarettes has been banned in Türkiye since 2020 as the country continues to battle with high consumption of tobacco and tobacco-related products. The anti-tobacco efforts led to their ban in all indoor venues in 2008. Türkiye's Health Ministry has also initiated several campaigns over the years to curb smoking, often providing public service message videos urging smokers to change life habits and switch to healthier lifestyles.
