'OPERATION PADLOCK TO PROTECT:' Adams ships 1,200+ pounds of illegal vapes to Ohio for destruction

NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – Mayor Eric Adams announced on Wednesday that more than 1,200 pounds of illegal vape products were seized and are on their way out of New York City as they are shipped off for destruction.

The products seized by the task force during “Operation Padlock to Protect” contain batteries and other hazardous materials requiring safe disposal. They are being sent to the NYPD’s long-term DNA evidence destruction vendor, ENP Environmental, in Grafton, Ohio.

“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,” Adams said.

As a result of the operation, the city has seized more than $80 million in illegal products so far, which have been taking up an outsized amount of space across NYPD’s network of evidence warehouses, according to the release.

In August, the 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 July of 2023, the City of New York filed a federal lawsuit against several distributors of illegal flavored vapes, including the nation’s largest vape distributor. In April 2024, the administration announced a second lawsuit against 11 local wholesalers, which has now been transferred to federal court.

Both actions target distributors for their part in the illegal sale of flavored disposable e-cigarettes. Both cases are proceeding.

The legalization of cannabis is intended to create a new economy to emerge in New York state, while addressing the harmful impact of the “War on Drugs” on Black and Brown New Yorkers, according to the release.