Police Bust Counterfeit E-Cigarette Supply Chain Worth Tens of Millions, 18 Arrested

Recently, the Shehong Municipal Public Security Bureau in Sichuan Province successfully detected a production, storage and sales fake casee-cigarettesIn the case, 18 suspects were arrested in Sichuan, Guangdong and Yunnan provinces, a production and manufacturing site was destroyed, and more than 10,000 boxes of counterfeit and counterfeit e-cigarettes whose production was explicitly prohibited by the state were seized on the scene. The total value involved in this case was more than 10 million yuan, and more than 1 million yuan of illegal income was recovered.

Police said that these fake e-cigarettes have a sweet fruit flavor and are packaged into shapes such as" milk tea cups "and" coke cans ", which are attractive and tempting to teenagers. The police investigating the case told Red Star News that after receiving clues about the sale of fake e-cigarettes in the jurisdiction, the Shehong Municipal Public Security Bureau and the Shehong Municipal Tobacco Monopoly Bureau jointly handled the case and followed the clues to destroy the manufacturing and sales industry chain of the fake e-cigarettes.

At present, the case has been transferred to the procuratorate for review and prosecution.

▲ Police arrested criminal suspect

Captured 18 people and involved tens of millions

Police crack down on the fake e-cigarette industry chain

" At first, we discovered that there were e-cigarette shops selling 'milk tea cups', and then we followed the clues and destroyed the entire industrial chain." Yang Ji, a policeman from the Forest Police Brigade of the Shehong Municipal Public Security Bureau, told Red Star News that these fake e-cigarettes have a secret supply channel and are more profitable than ordinary e-cigarettes, so some shops are taking risks.

With the cooperation of the Shehong Tobacco Monopoly Bureau, Shehong police further investigated and found that from October 2022 to June 2023, Zhou Moumou produced fruit-flavored fake e-cigarettes through a den in Shenzhen, and then sold them through Meng Mou, He Mou and others to Suining, Meishan and other places in Sichuan, where they were sold by Zhou, Wang and others.

In June 2023, Shehong Public Security Bureau arrested 5 main suspects in its den in Shenzhen and seized fake goods that had not yet been sold.e-cigarette brandsMore than 10,000 boxes in 6 categories, as well as a large number of other semi-finished products. Together with the entire sales network, the police arrested a total of 18 suspects, involving a value of more than 10 million yuan, and recovered more than 1 million yuan in illegal income.

▲ Fake e-cigarettes seized by the police

Yang Ji told Red Star News that the above-mentioned e-cigarettes were all counterfeit products after being identified by the Sichuan Province Tobacco Quality Supervision and Inspection Station. At present, Zhou and others have been transferred by the public security organs and transferred to the procuratorate for review and prosecution for selling fake and inferior products.# p#pagination title #e#

Fruit flavor, toy shape

Such fake e-cigarettes are tempting to teenagers

According to Shehong police, in recent years, fashionable e-cigarettes have become increasingly popular among young people. Lawless elements have used people's curiosity to illegally produce and sell fruit-flavored e-cigarettes that are explicitly prohibited by the state. They are called" milk tea cups "and" coke cans "for profit.

Yang Qize, chief of the Monopoly Section of the Shehong Tobacco Monopoly Bureau, told Red Star News that starting from October 1, 2022, the" Compulsory National Standards for E-Cigarettes "will be officially implemented. Merchants must not only obtain tobacco monopoly licenses, but also in addition to tobacco flavors. The sale of flavored e-cigarettes is completely banned.

▲ E-cigarettes packaged into milk tea cups

According to relevant regulations,#p#pagination title #e#e-cigarette productsIt should not be inducement to minors, the characteristic flavor of the product should not be made to present other flavors than tobacco, and the electronic smoking set should have a "children's lock" function.

Yang Qize introduced that illegal and counterfeit e-cigarettes such as" milk tea cups "and" coke cans "have" worked hard "on their appearance, turning e-cigarettes into children's toys and trendy drinks, and making them into e-cigarettes.atomizerAdding fruit flavor and other aroma flavors to it has strong appeal and inducement to minors.

Police investigating the case said that fake e-cigarettes have complex ingredients, worrying product quality, prominent safety hazards, and concealed and deceptive packaging design. They often use online sales channels and can easily flow to the hands of minors.