Maldives Customs Service has seized 5,600 vape cartridges from a shipment of goods brought into the country by sea, authorities said.

In a statement today, Customs said the consignment, declared as “general cargo”, was inspected and a large quantity of vape cartridges was found concealed within the shipment. The items were taken into custody and an investigation is ongoing.

Customs did not disclose the country of origin or identify any individuals linked to the shipment, saying only that further inquiries were underway.

The agency also released video footage of the operation on social media.

In a separate operation conducted at Male' Commercial Harbour on Sunday and Monday, Customs said officers seized 1,108 vape cartridges and 27 vaping devices hidden in cans of potato chips and packets of chocolate powder.

Customs said 1,940 vape cartridges were also seized in April.

The latest seizure comes amid continued enforcement efforts following the ban on vape imports under the Tobacco Control Act, which came into effect on 15 December. The law also sets the minimum age for the purchase and sale of tobacco products at 21.

Since then, there has been repeated attempts to smuggle vaping products into the country despite the ban.