By Michael V. Cusenza
The City on Wednesday celebrated the transportation of more than 1,200 pounds of illegal vape products out of the five boroughs as they are shipped off for destruction.
The products — all seized through “Operation Padlock to Protect” — contain batteries and other hazardous materials that must be disposed of safely. The products are being sent to the City Police Department’s long-term DNA evidence destruction vendor, ENP Environmental, in Grafton, Ohio.
The City has seized more than $80 million in illegal products, which have been taking up an outsized amount of space across NYPD’s network of evidence warehouses. Upon seizure, untaxed and illegally sold tobacco and vape products are subject to forfeiture, and ultimately may be destroyed by the City.
In August, the City Sherriff’s Joint Compliance Task Force destroyed more than four tons of seized, illegal cannabis products as part of the NYPD’s standard evidence destruction process of incinerating illegal substances and products in an environmentally-responsible way.
“Today, we say goodbye and good riddance to products that endanger our children and undermine our quality of life,” Adams said. “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.”
Earlier this year, Adams trekked up to Albany to lobby the State to grant regulatory authority to municipalities. After the State Legislature gave cities the legal green light, Adams launched Operation Padlock to Protect, which systematically conducts joint operations — including inspections and follow-up inspections — in neighborhoods across the five boroughs. When illegal stores are ordered to be sealed, officers from local NYPD precincts monitor those locations to ensure compliance and to alert the Sheriff’s Office when violations of a sealing order occur.
“I was proud to mobilize New Yorkers across all five boroughs to pass my SMOKEOUT Act in the State budget, authorizing the City to shut down illegal smoke shops for good. Illegal flavored e-cigarettes were among the stores’ many dangerous products, which they marketed to children with bright packaging and candy flavors,” Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar (D-Woodhaven) said. “Today’s destruction of 1,246 pounds of illegal vaping products will save thousands of our children from a lifetime of nicotine addiction and lung damage—proof positive that we are winning the war on illegal smoke shops. This demonstrates what we can achieve when all levels of government come together to address the issues facing New Yorkers.”
