Case worth over CNY 100 million: Xiamen police carry out four cross-provincial operations to dismant

On August 30, the Xiamen City Public Security Bureau issued a report on the production and sale of counterfeit goodse-cigarettescase. This is the first case in the province where the production and sale of counterfeit e-cigarettes was transferred for prosecution on the crime of producing and selling counterfeit products. The first batch of criminal suspects who arrived at the case were transferred for prosecution in accordance with the law at the end of July.

It is understood that in order to detect this case of manufacturing and selling counterfeit e-cigarettes, since the beginning of this year, under the guidance of the Public Security Corps of the Fujian Province Public Security Department, Xiamen police, in conjunction with the Tobacco Department, have carried out four cross-provincial centralized network closure operations. 22 suspects were arrested, 1 illegal e-cigarette production den, 6 storage dens, and 10 sales dens were destroyed, 5 illegal e-cigarette production lines were cut off, and more than 100,000 illegal e-cigarettes were confiscated, 36 production equipment (sets) and a large number of raw materials and spare parts were produced, with a valuation of hundreds of millions of yuan.

Online and offline batches are sold and mailed to 80 cities in the name of daily necessities

At the end of February this year, the provincial tobacco department provided clues that the suspect involved in the case, Xu Mouxiang, pretended to deliver a package and suspectede-cigarette products。The Food and Drug Investigation Detachment immediately established a special task force with Siming Public Security Bureau, Municipal Tobacco Monopoly Bureau, and Siming District Tobacco Monopoly Bureau to launch an investigation. "He mostly sends them in the name of daily necessities." Gao Qiang, squadron leader of the Second Squadron of the Investigation Brigade of the Food and Drug Investigation Detachment, said that after investigation, the task force found that the gang sold counterfeit e-cigarettes to 30 provinces and 80 cities across the country by mail.# p #pagination title #e #

After nearly half a month of research and judgment, Xiamen police gradually grasped the criminal facts of the gang. "Xu Mouxiang is equivalent to a middleman and wholesaler, connecting with e-cigarette manufacturers and multiple companies in Dongguan.e-cigarette brands, and then sell it to customers and retailers in batches through online and offline channels." Gao Qiang introduced that Xiamen police targeted Weng Mouming and Xu Mouxiang, the main criminals responsible for soliciting tourists in Xiamen, and identified production dens in Dongguan city and sales gangs in NanNing City.

This gang has long been engaged in the production and sales of illegal e-cigarettes. Multiple top companies are connected to multiple bottom companies to form a manufacturing and sales network, involving many provinces and many people. After quickly understanding the organizational structure and criminal facts of the criminal gang, the task force encountered difficulties.

In 2022, after the" Compulsory National Standards for E-Cigarettes "were officially issued and implemented, there was a lack of reference jurisprudence for cases involving" manufacturing and selling counterfeit e-cigarettes "across the country. How does the case proceed? On what charges were the suspects arrested? The special case team conducted in-depth communication and coordination with the "provincial, municipal, and district" three-level procuratorial departments and the tobacco department, and finally approved the arrest of the main offender for the crime of producing and selling fake and inferior products, filling the gap in such cases.

Cigarette making materials piled up in the toilet and the parts are all cheap plastic

Since March, the task force has worked closely with the police in Guangdong and Guangxi to successfully carry out four centralized network closure operations in Xiamen, Dongguan, Nanning and other places, arresting all 22 suspects including Weng Mouming and Xu Mouxiang, and eradicating the criminal gang of manufacturing and selling counterfeit e-cigarettes from the entire chain of production, warehousing, transportation and sales.

In Weng Mouming's warehouse in Siming District, counterfeit e-cigarettes (non-national standard fruit-flavored e-cigarettes) packed into the shells of common drinks such as" cola cups "and" milk tea cups "were seized on the spot. At the production site in Dongguan, police in Xiamen City seized fruit flavor piled in toiletssmoke oilRaw materials, 20 kilograms per barrel; cheap plastic e-cigarette device parts were seized, and these raw materials could subsequently produce counterfeit e-cigarettes with hundreds of millions of revenue. The average selling price of an e-cigarette ranges from 120 yuan to 300 yuan, and criminal suspects who produce and sell counterfeit e-cigarettes make huge profits from this.

When the police conducted follow-up investigation of sales outlets, they found that these sales and inventory outlets were close to schools, supermarkets, etc. For example, e-cigarettes in the shape of" Menghu "are easy to attract students to buy. Currently, the case is under further investigation.

Manufacturing and selling counterfeit e-cigarettes carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment

Police from the task force introduced that e-cigarettes with special appearance and taste are extremely tempting and deceptive to minors; non-national-standard flavor e-cigarette products are mixed with good ones and may produce formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, nitrosamines and other carcinogens after heating. Long-term smoking can cause health hazards to the human body, especially minors.

The police reminded that according to the" Compulsory National Standards for Electronic Cigarettes ", the national unified e-cigarette trading and management platform only provides national standard tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes and is not allowed to sell e-cigarettes that are not national standards. Otherwise, it may violate the Criminal Law. Article 140" The crime of producing and selling fake and inferior products "is punishable by a maximum of 15 years in prison or life imprisonment; Article 225" The crime of illegal business operation "is punishable by a maximum of more than 5 years in prison.