Fake Cigarettes Frequently Found During Holiday Sales: Hidden Under Floors, Tile Boxes, and Garbage

As the Spring Festival approaches, tobacco sales have become a focal point of consumer complaints. Citizens are outraged at purchasing counterfeit cigarettes, yet some unscrupulous merchants continue to sell fakes with a clear conscience. Some even take risks by openly selling counterfeit cigarettes, and some have violently resisted law enforcement after being caught.

Since the second half of last year, the Wenzhou Tobacco Monopoly Bureau has been continuously exposing retail outlets selling counterfeit cigarettes in collaboration with the Evening News, resulting in a noticeable improvement in the order of the cigarette market. During the Spring Festival, the tobacco department will once again take strong measures against the manufacture and sale of counterfeit cigarettes with a "zero tolerance" approach.

Counterfeit Cigarettes Frequently Appear in the Market During the Two Festivals

Since the New Year's Day of 2015, some unscrupulous merchants have targeted the peak sales season during the two festivals, engaging in large-scale buying and selling of counterfeit cigarettes.

Tobacco enforcement personnel have discovered through inspections that many previously penalized and exposed retail outlets have begun to stock up on counterfeit cigarettes again. Some counterfeit cigarettes were even hastily brought out for sale before the fake "laser codes" could be printed.

At the same time, enforcement personnel also found that some operators were deliberately selling counterfeit cigarettes. In one store that was checked, enforcement personnel found genuine Zhonghua cigarettes on the counter, but the printing date on the code was from January 2014 (a few genuine ones to pass inspection, but never sold), indicating the severity of their actions.

Mixing Real with Fake

Since the Wenzhou Tobacco Monopoly Bureau established a regular exposure mechanism, counterfeiters, driven by profit, have come up with various tricks to play "hide and seek" with tobacco enforcement personnel.

Recently, tobacco enforcement personnel have repeatedly discovered that some retailers have "hidden" counterfeit cigarettes in their counters. Who would have thought that among a neatly arranged row of cigarettes, counterfeit ones would be hidden? This kind of trick of mixing real with fake is hard to detect without the careful observation of enforcement personnel.

According to tobacco enforcement personnel, in addition to changing tactics, some stores have begun to make their hidden compartments increasingly concealed.

On January 16, enforcement personnel seized a batch of counterfeit cigarettes at a store located at 65 Dongyang East Road, Wutian Street, Ouhai District. These counterfeit cigarettes were hidden under the floor tiles in the bathroom sink (as shown in the left image), with nearly 20 counterfeit cigarettes hidden in a secret passage. If it weren't for the small gaps between the tiles, no one would have discovered this "hidden compartment".

Moreover, hiding counterfeit cigarettes is no longer limited to hidden compartments inside the store; there are also hiding spots outside the store, such as in parked motorcycles, electric bikes, and piles of garbage outside the store.

On February 3, enforcement personnel inspected a store operated by Wang in Longxia Road, Wutian Street, Ouhai District, and found that the owner had concealed counterfeit cigarettes among the garbage outside the store to disguise them and evade inspection. Enforcement personnel seized 15.5 sticks of counterfeit Zhonghua and other brands on-site, with a case value of 4,529 yuan.

Using Express Delivery for "Ants Moving"

With the development of online shopping and express delivery, criminals have even used express delivery to sell counterfeits.

On January 25, the Wenzhou Tobacco Monopoly Bureau, in cooperation with the police, seized a total of 210 counterfeit "Li Qun" cigarettes at a certain express company's cargo yard, with a case value exceeding 40,000 yuan. These counterfeit cigarettes were packed in three large cardboard boxes labeled as "flooring".

Tobacco enforcement personnel revealed that "today's counterfeit cigarette dealers are very cunning; the previous large-scale transport is rarely seen. To evade crackdowns, they often use logistics, express delivery, and long-distance buses to smuggle, infiltrating the market in small batches and multiple shipments."

Threats, Beatings, and Other Violent Resistance

Under the high-pressure crackdown on counterfeiting, many hidden counterfeit cigarettes have been exposed, and some retailers have begun to insult, threaten, and beat enforcement personnel, even violently resisting law enforcement in an attempt to obstruct enforcement.

Recently, during an inspection at Leju Food Store in Nantang 93 Alley, a nervous store owner, Zhou, attempted to obstruct enforcement by insulting tobacco enforcement personnel and even physically assaulted them. Zhou was subsequently administratively detained by the police for five days.

Similarly, the owner of Xishan Zhangheng Food Store (No. 38 Swimming Bridge) was caught selling counterfeit cigarettes multiple times and even vented his anger on enforcement personnel, repeatedly leaving his mentally challenged child at the tobacco monopoly management office to threaten enforcement personnel and even kicked the office door. After police intervention, this store owner apologized and compensated for the damages.

Even more rampant, during an inspection at Xishan Cai Xingjie Food Store (No. 130 Lucheng Road), enforcement personnel discovered a batch of counterfeit cigarettes. A retailer from Linhai, Jin, not only operated without a license but also brazenly snatched cigarettes, insulted enforcement personnel, and obstructed law enforcement. The situation only calmed down after police intervention. Later, enforcement personnel seized a total of 21 counterfeit cigarettes, including "Zhonghua" and "Li Qun" brands, with a case value of 5,250 yuan.

Strict Investigation and Heavy Penalties for Thorough Exposure

The cunning of counterfeiters is no match for the law. In 2014, the city's tobacco department transferred 51 criminal cases for prosecution, holding 72 individuals criminally responsible.

To maintain a high-pressure stance against counterfeiting, tobacco enforcement personnel have given up their rest and implemented round-the-clock shifts for crackdowns. In just one month, 102 counterfeit cigarette cases were seized, a year-on-year increase of 32.47%, with 2 cases transferred to the police and 133 cases transferred to industry and commerce.

Among them, on the evening of January 25, the tobacco department, in cooperation with the Puxia City Police Station, conducted a surprise inspection at Zheng Xiaomin Food Store located at No. 101, Building 73, Puxia City New Village. Due to the suspect's involvement in criminal activities, the case has been transferred to the police for handling, and the suspect has been criminally detained.

Currently, over 83% of individuals involved in counterfeit cigarette cases seized in the market come from Wenling and Linhai. They often sell counterfeits at night and form groups with fellow villagers to sell counterfeits, regularly alerting each other. Whenever there is any sign of trouble, they collectively "close shop". Additionally, mobile vendors near hotels are also a major group selling counterfeits.

"To cut off the black chain filled with profits from counterfeit cigarettes, we must bring counterfeit dealers to trial, which will create enough deterrence," said a representative from the city's tobacco department.