Eight Truckloads of Chinese Vaping Products Seized, Worth RMB 100 Million

On July 9, news emerged that Kazakhstan customs seized e-cigarettes worth 100 million RMB, with products originating from Chinese companies. According to Kazakhstan media Turantimes, customs officials in Zhetysu, Kazakhstan, intercepted 155.8 tons of e-cigarettes and related accessories valued at 6.1 billion tenge (approximately 100 million RMB) at the Alakol border with China. During inspections of goods and vehicles at the Alakol checkpoint, customs officials discovered a large quantity of illegal disposable e-cigarettes, e-liquid, and e-cigarette accessories. Zhetysu customs stated that the seized goods and vehicles did not provide valid documentation and failed to declare the imported goods, violating relevant regulations of the Eurasian Economic Union in the customs field.

It is understood that from March 1 to June 6, a total of 8 trucks entered Kazakhstan's Alakol customs station from China. According to Article 154 of the Kazakhstan Customs Code, the carrier failed to timely notify customs authorities of the arrival of goods and did not submit the necessary documentation, thus violating Articles 524 and 531 of the Kazakhstan Administrative Code. During customs inspections of the goods and vehicles, a total weight of 155.8 tons of e-cigarettes and accessories was discovered. According to expert assessments, the total value of the goods reached 6.1 billion tenge (approximately 100 million RMB), with an estimated 1.9 billion tenge (approximately 31 million RMB) in duties and taxes owed. Photos provided by Zhetysu customs show that the seized e-cigarettes were packaged with logos of brands such as INFLAVE. The nearest Chinese port is the Alashankou port. Previously, this region has seen multiple significant cases of e-cigarette smuggling. The Alashankou port, located in the Bortala Mongol Autonomous Prefecture of Xinjiang, is currently the only dual-use port for rail and road in western China, holding an international transport status.