Cracking Down on Illegal E-cigarette Sales in Beijing, 2023-2024

Key points:

In February 2023, the Beijing Dongcheng District Tobacco Monopoly Bureau discovered a retail store selling illegal e-cigarettes, with their sources traced back to Guangdong. A special task force was subsequently formed to investigate the case.

The task force used technological means to discover a criminal network centered around Zhang, and collaborated with multiple departments while inviting the prosecution to intervene early.

From January to April 2024, a special task force conducted raids in multiple locations, dismantled 6 production and distribution groups, destroyed 5 hideouts, seized over 110,000 illegal products, with an estimated value of approximately 240 million yuan. 36 suspects were arrested and taken into custody.

According to a report from Oriental Tobacco News on March 28, 2023, on February 16, 2023, regulatory officers from the Beijing Dongcheng Tobacco Monopoly Bureau discovered suspicious behavior from the owner of an e-cigarette retail store on Guei Street in Dongcheng District. After monitoring and investigating, it was found that the store owner, Liu, was suspected of selling illegal e-cigarette products, with his main source of supply being Guangdong, Shenzhen, and Dongguan. The Dongcheng District Bureau quickly reported this to the Beijing Tobacco Monopoly Bureau's Inspection Team, which, in collaboration with the Beijing Public Security Bureau's Food and Drug Tourism Inspection Team, established a special task force to conduct a thorough investigation.

The task force used big data analysis, logistics tracking, and other technological means to gradually uncover the criminal network behind it. In June 2023, the task force arrested 4 criminal suspects in Beijing, cutting off the downstream sales links of the criminal network. After further investigation, the task force identified 6 key source leads and mapped out the organizational structure of the entire criminal network, discovering a criminal network spanning multiple provinces and cities with Zhang as the core.

The main suspect, Mr. Zhang, recruited multiple accomplices to increase the middle links in order to distribute illegal e-cigarettes nationwide. The special task force utilized a "2+X" joint law enforcement cooperation mechanism, collaborating with multiple departments including customs, transportation, and postal services, and inviting the prosecution authorities to intervene early to ensure the smooth progress of the case investigation.

From January to April 2024, a special task force assembled more than 70 law enforcement officers and carried out a crackdown operation in 28 areas across 13 provinces and cities. Ultimately, they dismantled 6 illegal e-cigarette production and sales groups, destroyed 5 production bases, uncovered 5 production lines, located 13 storage points, seized 30 production devices, confiscated over 110,000 illegal e-cigarette products with a market value of over 5 million RMB, and dealt with a case involving approximately 240 million RMB. 36 criminal suspects were detained, with 25 of them approved for arrest and 18 sentenced.

After the case was solved, the Beijing Tobacco Monopoly Bureau, in collaboration with multiple departments, launched a legal education campaign in schools to promote laws and regulations, protect minors from the dangers of illegal e-cigarettes.