PF closes clandestine laboratory that produced raw materials for electronic cigarettes in MG | National Newspaper

Federal Police closes clandestine laboratory that produced raw material for electronic cigarettes in Minas Gerais

The Federal Police closed a clandestine laboratory that produced raw materials electronic cigarettes in Minas Gerais.

Inside an apartment in the center-south region of Belo Horizonte, one of the most valued addresses in the city, the Federal Police found hundreds of refills for electronic cigarettes, and bottles filled with a liquid that is inserted into so-called “vapes”. Clandestine manufacturing capable of making the product even more dangerous for people’s health.

“Because it is produced clandestinely, there is no type of supervision over it, which can lead to the introduction of unknown elements. Often it can contain larger amounts of nicotine, and it can contain other substances that, when heated there, will enter to users’ lungs”, says federal criminal expert Marcelo Lasmar.

Part of the material was sent to the Federal Police for examination. In a gallon, there was nicotine. In the other, pyrazine, an organic compound used to alleviate the irritation caused by nicotine. In other bottles, flavorings – some with the smell of fruit candy. All of this was being mixed without any criteria by the person who was arrested in the clandestine laboratory in BH.

“He simply found a recipe on the internet, mixed it and was selling it. He had no idea what this could do to health”, says federal criminal expert Bruno Ottaviani.

The Federal Police also found US$3,000 in the man’s apartment. suspect, who was released and will be released for the crime of smuggling. The action took place after a complaint received by the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa).

“The objective of the investigation is to identify the origin of the product, the people who participated in this chain, and also the distribution of these products: where it went, what was the final outcome of the product harmful to health”, says delegate Fabrício Diogo Braga.

Since 2009, Anvisa prohibits the manufacturing and marketing of electronic cigarettes in Brazil. Despite this, the number of seizures in the country is only increasing. In 2020, the IRS seized more than 30,000 electronic cigarettes. In 2023, this number jumped to more than 1.3 million.

Pulmonologist Michele Moura reinforces that the use of electronic cigarettes can be even more harmful than a conventional cigarette.

“An electronic cigarette has the equivalent in milligrams of nicotine – instead of having 1 milligram, which is what we have with conventional cigarettes -, it has 60 milligrams, which is equivalent to three packs of cigarettes. So, in one night, The person can easily consume 60 milligrams of nicotine, that is, three packs of conventional cigarettes. It releases substances that are carcinogenic, mainly related to mouth cancer”, he explains.