From virtual stores to underground operations on "online markets
From January 1, 2025, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco are officially banned in Vietnam. To tighten management, on December 31, 2025, the Government issued Decree No. 371/2025/ND-CP amending and supplementing regulations on preventing and combating the harmful effects of tobacco and sanctioning administrative violations in the medical field. Accordingly, the act of harboring others using e-cigarettes and heated tobacco at locations under ownership or management may be fined up to 10 million VND.
However, contrary to expectations that this market will "freeze" after the ban, reality shows that the business of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco still silently takes place, even becoming increasingly painful in cyberspace.
Reporters' records in Hanoi show that heated tobacco products (collectively called IQOS) are still commonly advertised for sale through closed groups on social networks. This is a segment of goods advertised as "high-end", with selling prices from several million to tens of millions of VND per product.
In the role of an IQOS buyer as a Tet gift, reporters contacted IQOS Net VN store at No. 5 Tran Phu (Hoan Kiem ward) via phone number 09887170xx. The person who answered the phone introduced himself as Ha, claiming to be the store owner, saying that this store has many "hot" IQOS lines on the market, customers can order shipping to buy and experience.
According to this person, the products are all "Japanese export goods", including separate machines and pesticides, advertised as "fresh, clean, luxurious", suitable for business people. The price of the machine ranges from 1.45 - 2.6 million VND, and the combo machine and pesticide is about 4 - 5 million VND. Notably, despite the large transaction value, the seller admitted that all goods are hand-carried, and cannot issue value-added invoices. When reporters asked about the legality of the heated tobacco business, this person immediately blocked contact and did not continue to exchange.
Reporters went directly to the address at No. 5 Tran Phu, although the signs of trading IQOS products are still left on the door, this address has become a restaurant.
A resident here said that after the ban, this heated cigarette store stopped operating and switched to selling online.
Reporters continued to investigate deeply in the vape, pod, IQOS, accounts "VAPE 1992 - PODSTORE" groups led by a person named Hiep, who claimed to be the store owner, said that since 2025 they had to close physical stores, completely switching to online sales to avoid inspection.
According to this person, transactions are currently mainly made through Telegram, a messaging platform considered more difficult to control. “VAPE, POD, IQOS are banned but still have many users. If you want to sell, you must be closed, only sell to regular customers, leave no traces,” Hiep said.
In addition to Telegram, Facebook and Zalo are also spaces that ringleaders take full advantage of. Under the guise of virtual accounts and vague information, they publicly advertise banned products for sale. After each transaction, posts are quickly deleted, accounts are renamed, and profile photos are changed to avoid tracking.
Online "black market" and sign language
On Facebook, a series of groups such as "Vape - Tinh Dau Vape - Pod Hanoi", "Pod Hanoi", "JUICE - POD HANOI"... with tens of thousands of members operate like online "black markets". Sellers mainly use virtual accounts, leaving only contact phone numbers.
Notably, advertisements often use slang such as "market meeting", "bay full map Hanoi", "no deposit"... to imply fast delivery, large quantity, on-site delivery, creating a feeling of bustling buying and selling but difficult to detect.
In the role of a wholesale customer, the reporter contacted at 03561684xx from an advertisement. The seller offered a retail price of Xlim V2 pod of 650,000 VND/piece, the wholesale price was only 410,000 VND. When requesting to come to the store to see the goods, this person refused to receive customers, saying that transactions were only made by phone and shipper.
Goods are mainly stored in the inner city. Customers see photos, finalize orders, transfer money and they are delivered to your place, the inner city is just a short time away," the seller affirmed and committed to exchange and return if the product is faulty.
According to lawyer Bui Quang Hung, Law Office of the National Assembly and Associates, Hanoi Bar Association, the business of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco in cyberspace as reflected is a serious violation of legal regulations, requiring strong involvement from functional agencies.
In principle, online sales or direct sales are both commercial activities. For a good that has been banned from being sold directly, online business is also a prohibited act. Advertising and trading in e-cigarettes and heated cigarettes in cyberspace is against regulations, and no cases are allowed," lawyer Hung emphasized.
From building virtual account systems, using sign language to transactions without direct contact, it can be seen that e-cigarettes dealers are operating a sophisticated and flexible trading network. This situation poses a significant challenge for the detection, inspection and handling of functional agencies in the context that the ban has taken effect.
Talking to Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Duong Manh Hung - Deputy Head of Hanoi Market Management Sub-Department - said that in the past time, the Sub-Department has coordinated with relevant functional units to strengthen supervision, assess the market situation, control and prevent violations of goods such as smuggled cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, and heated cigarettes. Many violations have been detected and handled by functional forces. However, the process of controlling functional forces faces many difficulties, especially the fact that subjects use social networks and closed groups to exchange and deliver goods to the place, making it difficult for functional forces to identify locations and violating subjects. In the coming time, functional forces will continue to promote market supervision, especially in cyberspace, promptly detecting and tracking down violations to handle them. In addition, propaganda work also needs to be promoted, coordinated with many agencies and units so that people, especially young people, clearly recognize that electronic cigarettes are banned and harmful.
According to Decree No. 371/2025/ND-CP, from December 31, 2025, users of these products may be fined from 3 to 5 million VND, and all violating exhibits will be confiscated and destroyed. In case individuals allow or harbor the use of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco at their managed locations, they will be fined from 5 to 10 million VND; for organizations, the fine level is applied double.
