Massive Crackdown on Illegal E-cigarette Operation in Chongqing, China

Jun.21.2024
Massive Crackdown on Illegal E-cigarette Operation in Chongqing, China
Chongqing police cracked a large-scale illegal e-cigarette case, seizing over 300,000 fruity-flavored non-standard e-cigarette pods and equipment.

According to a report from China News on June 20, the Public Security Bureau of Hechuan District in Chongqing recently cracked a major case of illegal operation of e-cigarettes, seizing over 300,000 finished e-cigarette pods with non-national standard fruit flavors and over 6 million unfinished pods.


Earlier, the Food and Drug Environmental Protection Brigade of Hechuan District Public Security Bureau first received relevant clues. A counterfeit e-cigarette pod was being sold at an e-cigarette sales point in Hechuan. Following an immediate investigation, a criminal group involved in the illegal production and sale of counterfeit e-cigarettes was uncovered.


Under the guidance of the Chongqing City Public Security Bureau's Anti-counterfeiting Division and Technical Investigation Division, the Hechuan Public Security Bureau deployed over 60 police officers to carry out a unified operation to arrest suspects in Guangdong Shenzhen, Dongguan, Huizhou and other locations, based on intelligence gathered on production and sales points.


The operation resulted in the arrest of 9 suspects and the successful destruction of 2 illegal "black factories" producing counterfeit e-cigarettes, as well as 3 storage "black locations." In addition to seizing over 300,000 finished non-standard e-cigarette pods and over 6 million semi-finished products on site, the police also confiscated more than 100,000 anti-counterfeiting labels, 25 production equipment, and over 400,000 yuan in cash related to the case.


At the same time, the relevant departments also conducted price assessments for 6 brands of e-cigarette products involved in the case, determining that the total amount involved in the case reached as high as 9.9878 million RMB.


Currently, nine suspects have been transferred to the prosecutor's office for prosecution, and the case is still under further investigation.


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