Guangdong Busts First Illegal Heated Tobacco Case, Seizes 920,000 Sticks

Recently, under the unified command of the Jiangmen City Public Security Bureau’s Food, Drug, and Environmental Crime Investigation Unit and the Jiangmen Tobacco Monopoly Bureau, the Kaiping Public Security Bureau's Economic Crime Investigation Unit utilized a new policing model combining "expertise, mechanism, and big data," along with a big data model for tobacco-related crimes. 

In collaboration with the Kaiping Tobacco Monopoly Bureau, they cracked an illegal cigarette operation, seizing 300,000 KENT cigarettes and 618,000 TEREA heated tobacco sticks on-site, dismantling a storage hub, and arresting one suspect. The case, valued at approximately 820,000 yuan, marks the first crackdown on illegal heated tobacco operations in Jiangmen.

On November 4, 2024, at around 9am, the Economic Investigation Brigade of the Kaiping Public Security Bureau received a tip-off from the Jiangmen Food and Drug Environmental Investigation Detachment, stating that an individual was engaged in illegal cigarette activities in Kaiping City. After receiving the report, the Economic Investigation Brigade of the Kaiping Public Security Bureau quickly launched an investigation. With guidance from the Jiangmen Public Security Bureau Food and Drug Environmental Investigation Detachment, the suspect was identified as Lan Moning (male, 32 years old, from Yulin, Guangxi).

After investigation, it was found that Lan Moning received illegally smuggled cigarettes from Guangxi and used a stall in the Fuxiang Market of Changsha Street Office in Kaiping City as a transit storage point for the illegal cigarettes. He would sort, package and disguise the smuggled cigarettes as other goods before selling them to buyers. Around 2pm that day, after determining the specific location of the suspects and the illegal cigarettes, law enforcement officers quickly took action, arresting Lan Moning and destroying one transit storage point. They seized 918,000 cigarettes of 17 different varieties from two brands, including 300,000 KENT brand cigarettes and 618,000 TAREA brand HNB cigarettes, with a total value of approximately 820,000 yuan.

Currently, Lan Mouning has been criminally detained by the Kaiping police on suspicion of illegal business operations. The successful resolution of this case further cracks down on illegal sales of new tobacco products, effectively maintaining market order and safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of consumers. This case has a certain reference value for combating the illegal sale of new tobacco products in the Jiangmen area.