Police in Ji'an, Jiangxi Bust Counterfeit E-Cigarette Operation, Arrest 3 Suspects

Recently, police in Wan'an County, Ji'an, successfully dismantled a counterfeit e-cigarette production and sales operation, arrested three suspects, seized more than 120,000 vaping parts and finished products, along with one counterfeit production line, and uncovered a case involving more than RMB 5.5 million.

On July 1, the Wan'an County Public Security Bureau received a tip from the public reporting a batch of e-cigarettes bearing counterfeit registered trademarks on the market. After confirming the lead was credible, the bureau immediately formed a special task force to investigate.

Following in-depth investigation, officers accurately identified the criminal patterns of suspects Chen Motao, Liu Mouhui, and Ou Moulin, as well as the location of the counterfeit e-cigarette production site. Police then moved in and successfully arrested all three suspects, cutting off an illegal chain involving the production, storage, and sale of counterfeit trademarked e-cigarettes.

According to the investigation, suspects Chen Motao and Liu Mouhui had previously co-run an electronics factory with nearly 20 employees. However, in recent years the factory had struggled due to market conditions and was on the verge of shutting down when their friend Ou Moulin approached them with a “business opportunity.”

Ou Moulin told them he had access to raw materials for a certain e-cigarette brand and could also provide production equipment free of charge. All Chen Motao and Liu Mouhui needed to provide was a site and workers, and they would be paid processing fees.

After hearing about this “great deal,” Chen Motao and Liu Mouhui immediately agreed. The three then divided the work: Ou Moulin coordinated with upstream suppliers to procure components and raw materials for producing the e-cigarettes, Liu Mouhui was responsible for training workers on operating procedures, and Chen Motao handled external sales.

Police found that from April to June 2023, Chen Motao, Ou Moulin, and Liu Mouhui produced and processed more than 37,000 counterfeit branded e-cigarettes, with the total value involved exceeding RMB 5.5 million.

At present, suspects Chen Motao, Ou Moulin, and Liu Mouhui have been placed under criminal detention in accordance with the law, and the case remains under further investigation.