Illegal Vape Case Worth RMB 20 Million Seized in Nanchang; Several Arrested

According to Jiangnan Metropolis Daily, multimedia reporter Zhang Na and intern Liang Wenli reported today: In a rental house in Nanchang, various new types of vapes were hidden, disguised as "milk tea cups," "cola cans," "stuffed toys," etc., making them highly concealed, deceptive, and enticing, with a consumer base primarily consisting of young people, including many students.

On April 7, the Xihu Branch of the Nanchang Public Security Bureau reported that it had recently successfully cracked a major illegal sales case involving new types of vapes, detaining four individuals and confiscating over 130 varieties of new vapes, more than 13,000 units, and over 10,000 pods and cartridges. According to tobacco authorities, the estimated value is about 1.8 million yuan. This case is the first illegal vape sales case cracked in the province since the implementation of the national mandatory standards for vapes on October 1, 2022.

Police disguised as delivery personnel to eliminate the vape dens

It was reported that in mid-March this year, the Xihu Branch of the Nanchang Public Security Bureau's security team discovered a suspected vape sales den in a local community during routine inspections. After receiving this clue, the bureau attached great importance, established a special task force, and quickly launched an investigation. The investigating officers disguised themselves as delivery personnel for three consecutive days to conduct secret investigations, finally pinpointing the exact location of the den. On the night of March 12, the bureau, in conjunction with the Xihu Tobacco Monopoly Bureau, eliminated the den in one fell swoop, capturing criminal suspects Yi Moukai (male, 20 years old, from Nanchang, Jiangxi, with multiple drug-related offenses) and Zhang Moubing (male, 19 years old, from Nanchang, Jiangxi), and seizing a large number of new vapes that had not yet been sold.

After Yi Moukai and Zhang Moubing were brought to justice, investigators identified their superior, Liu Moukang (male, 20 years old, from Shijiazhuang, Hebei), through analysis of their activities. On March 13, the investigating officers rushed to Shenzhen, Guangdong, to apprehend him, but Liu Moukang, being suspicious by nature, evaded capture multiple times after contacting Yi Moukai and Zhang Moubing without success, moving back and forth between Zhongshan, Shenzhen, and Huizhou in Guangdong, without a fixed residence, and staying in the same place for no more than a day, causing the officers to miss him repeatedly.

On March 20, the officers discovered that Liu Moukang was driving to Shijiazhuang and immediately drove north to pursue him, ultimately capturing him on the evening of March 21 in a community in Shijiazhuang. Through immediate interrogation and unraveling the case, they discovered a criminal gang suspected of illegally producing and selling vapes in Zhongshan and Huizhou, Guangdong. On March 22, the officers again traveled south to Shenzhen, Guangdong, and on March 24, captured the main member of the gang, Luo Mouxin (male, 21 years old, from Puning, Guangdong).

The criminal gang illegally sold vapes online worth 20 million yuan

Investigations revealed that suspects Yi Moukai and Zhang Moubing, fully aware of the new national vape standards, still rented a residential house in the community, shifting their physical operations underground, establishing multiple WeChat groups for communication, using online payment methods like Alipay, and ultimately completing transactions through delivery channels. The vapes involved were disguised as "milk tea cups," "cola cans," "stuffed toys," etc., making them highly concealed, deceptive, and enticing, with a consumer base primarily consisting of young people, including many students. Since January of this year, there have been over 4,000 shipping records.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that the organizational structure of this case is tight and hierarchical, with Luo Mouxin, Li Mouxin (wanted online), and Luo Mousheng (already captured by Anhui police) responsible for assembly and production, Liu Moukang and others responsible for agency sales, and Yi Moukai and Zhang Moubing responsible for retail. Each level is unaware of the others and does not meet, selling to five provinces including Jiangxi Nanchang, Jiangsu Yancheng, Anhui Ma'anshan, Guangdong Shenzhen, and Hebei Shijiazhuang through online platforms, with the amount involved exceeding 20 million yuan.

Currently, Luo Mouxin, Liu Moukang, Yi Moukai, Zhang Moubing, and others have been criminally detained.