Four Arrested in Major Illegal E-Cigarette Operation Case in Qinzhou, Gansu, Involving Over RMB 1 Mi

On April 23, the Qinzhou Public Security Bureau held a ceremony to welcome the successful conclusion of the "3.21" illegal operation of e-cigarettes, a major case involving the illegal sale of e-cigarettes across provinces to places like Tianshui, with an amount exceeding 1 million RMB. Four criminal suspects were arrested.

In March 2023, the Qinzhou Public Security Bureau's Economic Investigation Team, in close cooperation with the Qinzhou Tobacco Inspection Department, discovered a lead on an illegal e-cigarette operation. This was the first case involving e-cigarettes discovered in Tianshui. The Qinzhou Public Security Bureau attached great importance to this and quickly formed a task force by mobilizing police from the Economic Investigation Team, Public Security Team, Cybersecurity Team, and Drug Enforcement Team to conduct investigations. Under the careful guidance of the Municipal Public Security Bureau's Cybersecurity and Economic Investigation Teams, the task force conducted in-depth data mining and comprehensive information analysis, basically clarifying the case details and confirming the identities and activities of the four main suspects. To seize the opportunity and highlight the impact of the crackdown, on April 15, the task force dispatched 15 personnel to form four arrest teams, going to Fujian Jinjiang, Guangdong Baiyun, Jiangxi Jiujiang, Zhejiang Jiaxing, and Guizhou Guiyang to carry out a concentrated operation. After several days of visits and surveillance, the task force successfully arrested the four suspects, including a person named Yu, and escorted them back to Qinzhou.

It was found that the four suspects, including Yu, were interconnected, profiting from each other, and sold e-cigarettes across provinces to places like Tianshui via the internet, some of which were suspected of being counterfeit and containing toxic substances. The confirmed amount involved has exceeded 1 million RMB, with a financial flow exceeding 10 million RMB.

Currently, the case is under further investigation.