10 Arrested in Major Anhui Counterfeit Vaping Case Involving Over RMB 80 Million

Suspect identifying the crime scene. Photo provided by the Chijiang Branch of the Ma’anshan Public Security Bureau

Hefei, May 6 (China News Service) — Recently, with strong support from the Forest Public Security Branch of the Ma’anshan Public Security Bureau and the Ma’anshan Tobacco Monopoly Bureau, the Chijiang Branch of the Ma’anshan Public Security Bureau in Anhui Province successfully cracked a major case involving the production and sale of counterfeit and substandard products. Police arrested 10 criminal suspects, seized more than 540,000 e-cigarettes and accessories, more than 40 types of processing machines, and uncovered a case involving over RMB 80 million.

In late March this year, the Chijiang Branch received a tip from the Ma’anshan Tobacco Bureau that a man surnamed Hu was selling large quantities of counterfeit and substandard e-cigarettes on the market. These e-cigarettes had no manufacturer name, no factory address, no production hygiene license code, and in some cases did not even list their ingredients. However, thanks to their novel appearance and colorful flavors, they were popular among teenagers. In just three months, transaction volume exceeded RMB 100,000, seriously endangering the health of minors.

The Chijiang Branch immediately assigned experienced officers to form a special task force and launched a full investigation. Police found that shipments of these counterfeit e-cigarettes came from Shenzhen and Jiangxi. Officers promptly arrested four suspects connected to the two locations. After interrogation, they learned that the four were only lower-level agents and that there were others higher up the chain. Police then traced the upstream supply sources in Shenzhen and Jiangxi and determined that both sources of the counterfeit e-cigarettes originated in Zhongshan, Guangdong. Based on this, investigators concluded that Zhongshan was likely the manufacturing source and immediately traveled there to continue the investigation.

Counterfeit products seized by police

After dozens of days of meticulous investigation, an illegal criminal group led by a man surnamed Luo gradually emerged, covering production, sales, transportation, and other links in the counterfeit e-cigarette trade. After fully identifying the roles, criminal facts, and operating patterns of those involved, police from the task force launched simultaneous arrests on April 20. Five suspects were captured at the scene, and police successfully dismantled a criminal gang led by Luo that had been illegally manufacturing and selling counterfeit e-cigarettes. They also shut down three illegal factories producing counterfeit e-cigarettes and cut off a multi-level underground sales network spanning nearly 20 provinces and cities, including Tianjin, Guangdong, Shandong, Sichuan, Anhui, Heilongjiang, and Hainan.

Investigators found that the gang led by Luo had a clear division of labor. Luo was responsible for coordinating the supply of raw materials, while Wu, Li, Xu, and others managed production, marketing, and transportation. To secretly sell counterfeit e-cigarettes, they infiltrated multiple WeChat groups, posted sales information in the groups, and recruited downstream distributors. Transactions were conducted through online ordering and payment, followed by offline logistics shipping. After receiving the goods, Luo’s downstream distributors then resold them across the country, forming a multi-level criminal structure.

During interrogation, Luo, Wu, and the others confessed to their crimes. At present, criminal compulsory measures have been taken against all 10 suspects in accordance with the law, and the case is under further investigation. (End)