Case Involving Over RMB 30 Million: Chongqing Cracks Southwest China’s First Major Illegal New E-Cig

People’s Daily Online, Chongqing, April 17 (Liu Zhengning, Liu Yi) — Recently, the Jiangjin District Public Security Bureau in Chongqing, working together with the tobacco monopoly bureau, successfully cracked a case involving the illegal production and sale of new vaping devices. More than 70 people were implicated, and the amount involved has been preliminarily determined to exceed RMB 30 million. According to reports, this is the first major case in Southwest China in which authorities dismantled an integrated criminal network covering the entire chain of illegal e-cigarette production, supply, and sales.

Semi-finished vaping hardware. Photo provided by Jiangjin District Public Security Bureau

In January this year, the Jiangjin District Public Security Bureau discovered during routine work that a Jiangjin resident surnamed Liu had been aggressively selling non-compliant flavored e-cigarettes such as “milk tea cups” and related products on social platforms including WeChat without obtaining an e-cigarette retail license. These products not only contain complex e-liquid ingredients, questionable product quality, and significant safety hazards, but also feature highly concealed and misleading packaging designs. Their appearance resembles children’s toys, trendy beverages, or eye-catching foods, making them particularly attractive to minors whose judgment is not yet mature and seriously endangering their healthy development.

Under the guidance of the anti-counterfeiting division of the Chongqing Public Security Bureau and other authorities, the Jiangjin District Public Security Bureau quickly organized an elite task force to trace the source and pursue the case. Through investigation and in-depth analysis, the task force accurately identified detailed information such as the specific location of the illegal factory and the composition of its personnel.

Workshop at the illegal production and sales factory. Photo provided by Jiangjin District Public Security Bureau

After recently assessing that the timing was right, the task force decided to launch arrests. Working closely with the tobacco monopoly bureau, they traveled to Dongguan, Guangdong, to carry out a full-scale operation. After two days of concentrated surveillance and arrests, they successfully dismantled this criminal gang engaged in the illegal production and sale of new vaping devices. At the scene, authorities seized more than 7,000 vape devices, more than 20,000 finished pods, and over 30 pieces of e-cigarette-related production equipment.

According to interrogations, the suspects took the risk in pursuit of huge profits. Without obtaining the required e-cigarette production and business licenses, they rented a large factory building, hired more than 60 workers, and mass-produced non-compliant flavored pods, new vaping products such as “milk tea cups” and “tiger cups,” as well as conventional e-cigarette hardware and pods, then sold them wholesale. Their sales network had spread into tobacco markets in many parts of the country, seriously disrupting tobacco market order. The case is still under further investigation.

Police reminder: At present, e-cigarettes disguised as “milk tea cups,” “tiger cups,” and other “sugar-coated bullets” are highly tempting to minors and harmful to the healthy development of young people. If residents discover illegal sales of e-cigarettes, they may call the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration’s nationwide tobacco market regulation reporting hotline at “12313,” or dial 110 to report directly to the police.