17 Arrested in Ningbo as Police Crack Major Counterfeit Vaping Case Worth Over RMB 30 Million
On April 12, reporters learned that the Cixi Public Security Bureau, in conjunction with the Ningbo Tobacco Bureau, recently cracked a major cross-provincial case involving the production and sale of counterfeit vaping devices, with the counterfeit vaping devices tested by the Zhejiang Tobacco Quality Supervision and Inspection Station being identified as substandard, and the first national identification report for vaping products was issued. Currently, 17 criminal suspects have been arrested, 8 related dens have been destroyed, over 50,000 counterfeit vaping devices have been seized, along with over 30,000 pieces of packaging materials and 21 production equipment, with the involved amount exceeding 30 million RMB.
In October last year, the "Mandatory National Standards for Vaping Devices" officially came into effect, marking a new stage in the legalization and standardization of the vaping industry.
"A logistics vehicle heading to Cixi was found to be carrying a large quantity of production materials for counterfeit vaping devices of a well-known brand." In November last year, the Ningbo Public Security Bureau's Food and Drug Environmental Crime Investigation Team received a tip-off from the public. Given the special nature of this case, the Ningbo Public Security Bureau's Food and Drug Environmental Crime Investigation Team, the Cixi Public Security Bureau's Public Security Management Team, and the Ningbo Tobacco Bureau immediately established a joint task force to investigate, initially identifying an illegal processing factory for counterfeit vaping devices hidden in our city, and grasping the basic situation and activity patterns of the suspects in that factory.
In order to dismantle this production and sales chain of counterfeit vaping devices and uncover the criminal network, the task force's officers started with the renter of the production den, Yang, and through stakeouts and extensive data analysis, a large illegal manufacturing and sales chain of counterfeit vaping devices emerged.
This chain involved multiple subcontracting factories distributed across the country, with a huge amount of money involved. The main suspects, including Kong, Kong, and Yang, repeatedly purchased e-liquid, tubes, electronic components, and other raw materials from Yang and Fu, transporting them to a processing factory in Dongguan, where they completed the processing and assembly of the raw materials, sending the semi-finished vaping devices to a certain location for labeling and packaging before final completion. Subsequently, according to Kong's instructions, the goods were sent to domestic agents for sale.
After clarifying the case, the task force determined that the timing was ripe for a crackdown and began formulating a plan. On December 10, 2022, the task force mobilized over a hundred elite personnel to carry out a unified crackdown on the entire chain, arresting suspects at various subcontracting factories. Police officer Gao Liansong from the Cixi Public Security Bureau told reporters that although the operation to arrest suspects in this major counterfeit vaping device case faced some setbacks, it progressed rapidly. Currently, 17 suspects involved in the crime have been subjected to criminal coercive measures, and the case is still under further investigation.
"In this case, the counterfeit vaping devices we seized are not just simple 'knock-offs' of big brands." The investigating officer told reporters that among the seized counterfeit vaping devices, most of the atomizers did not match the e-liquid, raising quality concerns, and there were instances of producing and selling substandard products. The resolution of this case has swiftly cut off an entire channel for the production and sale of counterfeit vaping devices, effectively maintaining order in the local tobacco market.
Reporter: Zou Xin, Correspondent: Huang Yiyi
