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Meet Mohammad and Ibrahim Elomar, two Sydney brothers who thought selling dodgy vapes would be a chill side hustle—until their stash went full Michael Bay in the middle of Bankstown. The pair allegedly cooked up a lucrative little business importing nicotine vapes and selling them under-the-counter to eager high schoolers and cash-heavy vape fiends.

But instead of puffing profits, they got explosions, fireballs, and an arrest so cinematic you’d think Underbelly was rebooting with a cotton candy-scented plot +9News. Here’s the tea: Police raided an industrial unit in Bankstown and uncovered over $3.2 million worth of illegal vapes—like, literal mountains of banned nicotine puffs disguised in every flavour your dentist hates.

Then, karma came in like a drag-racing bogan: one of the storage sites burst into flames just hours later, torching part of the evidence and raising eyebrows faster than a shocked emoji. Whether it was an accident or someone got a little too close with a lighter remains to be seen +ABC News. Vape crackdowns are hitting harder lately, with NSW health officials and the Therapeutic Goods Administration treating illicit e-cigarettes like mini WMDs.

And honestly? Fair. These dodgy imports aren’t just bad for lungs—they’re often soaked in unknown chemicals and smuggled in without regulation. So yeah, if you’re selling schoolyard poison from a warehouse, expect the cops—and maybe an accidental fireball—to show up. It’s 2025, and vaping is officially the new tobacco war +The Guardian Australia.

The Elomar brothers have been charged and refused bail, and now face the very un-vibe reality of prison time. Their next court appearance is scheduled for later this month, assuming no more vape warehouses spontaneously combust. Meanwhile, health officials hope this lights a fire (pun very much intended) under Parliament to fast-track stronger anti-vape legislation +SMH.