According to the Moscow government information center, on November 15, during a recent surprise inspection, Moscow customs officials seized a batch of illegal e-cigarettes worth 3.1 million rubles (approximately 30,000 US dollars) in a warehouse.
According to the news office of the Central Customs Authority, 4,500 illegal e-cigarettes were seized.
A customs investigation revealed that a 26-year-old Russian citizen ordered this batch of e-cigarettes from China through the internet, but did not truthfully declare it in customs, intending to sell it domestically for illegal profit. It is estimated that the total amount of unpaid duties exceeds 3.6 million rubles ($35,000).
The shipment has now been seized. Customs has pressed criminal charges against the suspects under Article 194, Section 1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, for "evasion of customs duties.
This case has been transferred to the court for trial, and the man may face up to two years in prison.
