409,000 Packs of Untaxed Cigarettes Seized in Russia

Apr.04.2023
409,000 Packs of Untaxed Cigarettes Seized in Russia
Russian officials seized 409,000 untaxed packs of Belarusian cigarettes, worth $4.6 million, disguised as cherry shipments.

Customs officials and federal security service border control personnel in Smolensk, Russia, have seized 409,000 packs of Belarusian cigarettes without tax stamps. The detained goods are estimated to be worth 46 million rubles (approximately 4 million yuan).


Rustam Yakupov, head of the Smolensk Customs Office, stated that a truck travelling from Belarus to Moscow was intercepted in the Kruglovo region of Smolensk. According to documents, the truck was loaded with 20 tons of Chinese frozen cherry without pits, but custom officials discovered large quantities of illegal cigarettes in some of the boxes.


Since the mandatory implementation of honest labeling on April 1st, there has been a growing variety of illegal tobacco transportation methods. Transporting unmarked tobacco products is considered an illegal activity, and those involved may face criminal charges under Article 171.1 of the Russian Criminal Code.


Reference:


Cigarettes disguised as cherries.


This document has been generated through artificial intelligence translation and is provided solely for the purposes of industry discourse and learning. Please note that the intellectual property rights of the content belong to the original media source or author. Owing to certain limitations in the translation process, there may be discrepancies between the translated text and the original content. We recommend referring to the original source for complete accuracy. In case of any inaccuracies, we invite you to reach out to us with corrections. If you believe any content has infringed upon your rights, please contact us immediately for its removal.

Austria to Tighten Sales Rules for Nicotine Pouches and E-Liquids From April 1
Austria to Tighten Sales Rules for Nicotine Pouches and E-Liquids From April 1
Austria will introduce new sales rules for nicotine products from April 1, 2026. Under a reform of the tobacco law passed in December 2025, nicotine pouches will in future be sold only through tobacco shops, while e-liquids will be sold only through tobacco shops and licensed specialist stores. Other points of sale will no longer be permitted to sell these products.
Mar.30 by 2FIRSTS.ai
Product | GEEKBAR MATE 60K Launches in U.S. Channels With 15ml E-Liquid and Up to 60,000 Puffs
Product | GEEKBAR MATE 60K Launches in U.S. Channels With 15ml E-Liquid and Up to 60,000 Puffs
E-cigarette brand GEEKBAR has recently launched its new product, the GEEKBAR MATE 60K, on its official website. The product adopts a pod-based system, consisting of a reusable 900mAh device and a pod prefilled with 15ml of e-liquid and equipped with a built-in 200mAh battery, bringing the total battery capacity to 1100mAh. It supports both Regular and Pulse modes.
Mar.30 by 2FIRSTS.ai
Metal Body + AMOLED Screen: KT&G Launches New Heated Tobacco Device Lil Aible 3.0
Metal Body + AMOLED Screen: KT&G Launches New Heated Tobacco Device Lil Aible 3.0
KT&G said it will launch the heated tobacco device Lil Aible 3.0 at four stores in South Korea on February 28. The device shortens charging and preheating time while keeping features such as pausing during use, mode switching, and three consecutive uses. It adopts a metal body and an AMOLED display, comes in four colors, and will expand to Seoul-area convenience stores and the online mall in April, and nationwide convenience stores in May.
Feb.27 by 2FIRSTS.ai
Coalition pushes back on Hochul’s proposed 75% wholesale tax on alternative nicotine products
Coalition pushes back on Hochul’s proposed 75% wholesale tax on alternative nicotine products
A coalition of business owners and former law enforcement officers protested Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposed 75% wholesale tax on alternative nicotine products, saying it would fuel organized crime and burden low-income New Yorkers, while supporters said it would curb addiction and help fund hospitals.
Feb.28 by 2FIRSTS.ai
PMI Launches Mass Production of ZYN at $600M Aurora Manufacturing Hub
PMI Launches Mass Production of ZYN at $600M Aurora Manufacturing Hub
Philip Morris International (PMI), through its subsidiary Swedish Match, has started large-scale production at a 600,000-square-foot ZYN nicotine pouch facility in Aurora, Colorado. The $600 million investment makes the site one of three ZYN manufacturing plants in the United States and the company’s second U.S. facility after Owensboro, Kentucky.
PMI
Feb.21
Special Report | Tax Veteran Takes Helm at China’s Tobacco Regulator, Leadership Change Fuels Reform Watch
Special Report | Tax Veteran Takes Helm at China’s Tobacco Regulator, Leadership Change Fuels Reform Watch
China’s tobacco system has appointed a new top internal leader with a long background in public finance and taxation, drawing renewed attention to whether the country’s tobacco monopoly may enter a new phase of reform debate. The appointment itself does not signal a defined policy shift.But it places a veteran fiscal official at the center of a key state sector amid unresolved questions on tax reform, structure, and emerging tobacco products.
Mar.20