Police Dismantle Multi-Region Vape Store Theft Ring Across Niagara and Western Ontario
Ottawa, ON, Jan. 20, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Canadian Vaping Association commends the Niagara Regional Police Service, Waterloo Regional Police Service and 8 District (Grimsby/Lincoln/West Lincoln) on their collaborative investigation that led to the arrest of two individuals involved in a series of vape shop break and enters across Western Ontario.
According to Niagara Regional Police Service media release dated January 14, 2026, the suspects were taken into custody following an investigation that began after a break and enter at a vape shop in St. Catharines, Ontario on November 15, 2025. With assistance from other police services in the Ontario region, investigators identified two suspects and recovered thousands of vaping product units valued at approximately $150,000, along with a storage unit and a commercial storefront in Brampton, Ontario. Police have also confirmed the individuals are known to have prior criminal charges.
The CVA would like to see more of this type of coordinated police action against criminals targeting legal vape companies across Canada, and investigations on the individuals and companies purchasing the stolen goods.
Rising Vape Shop Break-Ins Linked to Punitive Excise Tax Policy
The CVA is using this opportunity to highlight a troubling trend: a sharp increase in targeted, criminal activity against vape shops across Canada. Retailers are reporting a rise in thefts and break and enters, a pattern that closely aligns with the implementation of punitive excise taxation on vaping products.
On July 1, 2024, vaping products sold in Ontario received a 124% increase on excise tax. As a result, within the age restricted, regulated retail system, retail prices increased significantly, in many cases nearly doubling. The punitive excise taxation has had an unintended consequence, effectively reclassifying legally compliant, excised-stamped vaping products as luxury goods that are high-value targets for organized theft. Ultimately, the tax increase has reduced affordability for adult consumers while simultaneously inflating the illicit market value of legally sold inventory.
“Excise taxes were intended to discourage youth access and generate revenue to fund government programs, but the unintended consequence has been the creation of high-value, easily resold goods that criminals actively seek out,” said Sam Tam, President of the Canadian Vaping Association. “Small, law-abiding retailers are paying the price through repeated break-ins, property damage, rising insurance costs, and threats to employee safety, and the significant mental stress that comes with these incidents.”
Break-Ins Increase Illicit Availability of Vaping Products to Youth
Excise taxation was promoted by anti-vaping lobby groups as a policy response to concerns about youth vaping. However, the resulting price increases have produced multiple unintended consequences including increased youth access and availability.
Products acquired from break-ins become part of illicit sources, which sell products without age verification. This undermines safeguards that have proven effective in reducing youth access within the legal retail industry.
“Policies developed without regard for real-world market impacts often create conditions that fuel illicit trade,” said Sam Tam. “While anti-vaping lobby groups may move on to the next issue, governments and communities are left to manage the public safety, enforcement, and youth access challenges that follow.”
CVA Calls for Reassessment of Excise Tax Policy
Industry stakeholders are urging the federal government to reassess the current excise tax framework and adopt a more balanced approach that supports tobacco harm reduction without incentivizing criminal activity.
The CVA will continue advocating for a recalibration of excise taxation on regulated vaping products to reflect their role as a risk reduction alternative for adult smokers. Excessive taxation places pressure on adult consumer affordability, destabilizes the regulated, legal market, and diminishes the effectiveness of youth protection measures. “We support reasonable regulation and strong enforcement,” said Sam Tam. “But policies that unintentionally fuel crime and expand the illicit market ultimately undermine public health, public safety, and legitimate Canadian small businesses. We are urging federal and provincial governments to work with the CVA to develop tax and regulatory policies that reduce criminal incentives while maintaining strong consumer protections.”
To better assess these trends, the CVA will be conducting a national survey of retailers to collect data across Canada on theft, break-ins, and market impacts following recent excise tax increases. A report summarizing these findings will be released later in 2026.
Ashley Bouman The Canadian Vaping Association abouman@thecva.org
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