More than 30,000 vapes and tobacco products worth more than $1 million have been seized by health authorities in a series of raids across Sydney.
The major vaping blitz saw 60 retailers targeted throughout the city's south east last week.
More than 30,000 e-cigarettes, 118,000 cigarettes, 45 kilograms of flavoured and loose-leaf tobacco and 284 containers of nicotine pouches were taken during the NSW Health and Therapeutic Goods Administration raids.
The total street value of the seizures is over $1.1 million, NSW Health said.
It takes the total value of illegal vapes and tobacco products seized across the state since July 2020 to $31.6 million.
In footage released by NSW Health, inspectors can be seen searching in ceiling cavities and at one point a worker pushes a fridge aside and finds boxes of vapes stacked behind shelves.
The vapes, which were allegedly marketed towards young people, are set to be destroyed.
It is illegal in NSW to sell nicotine vapes without a prescription to customers under 18 years of age.
The federal government has also made changes designed to limit the importation of vapes for sale in retailers.
Vaping products with nicotine can only be prescribed by a medical practitioner and can only be dispensed from a pharmacy.
Tougher penalties on the cards
Those caught selling illegal vapes can be fined up to $1,650 per offence and face six months in prison.
The maximum penalty is more consequential if an e-cigarette or nicotine product is sold to a minor, with individuals facing up to $11,000 for a first offence and up to $55,000 for a second offence.
Businesses can be fined up to $55,000 for a first offence and $110,000 for a subsequent offence.
NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said the government will consider enforcing even tougher penalties on businesses selling e-cigarettes and illegal nicotine products.
"If they've been investigated for one offence we're likely to be back. Multiple offences increases the penalty and increases the likelihood for time in prison," he said.
"I won't begin to underestimate the challenge we have … we're in the process of reviewing our penalties in this space and I'm certainly interested to see an increase in the penalties."
He reiterated the health risks associated with vaping.
"Vapes are not a safe alternative to smoking and we are doing everything we can to educate young people on the harms of vaping and to protect them from those same harms," he said.
"More evidence continues to come to light about the dangers associated with vapes. They aren't innocent flavoured water, they contain harmful chemicals which can also be found in weed killer and antifreeze."
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said the fact that vapes "are deliberately marketed to our children" was a concern as it affects their "future health and wellbeing".
NSW Health is waiting to see whether retailers found to have sold the vapes will face criminal charges.