Kazakhstan Customs Seizes 155.8 Tons of E-cigarettes Worth 13.6 Million USD

On July 3rd, according to a report by Kazakhstan media outlet Turantimes, officials from the Zetisu Customs, located on the border with China, seized a total of 155.8 tons of e-cigarettes and related accessories, valued at 6.1 billion tenge (approximately 13.6 million USD). The Zetisu Customs, in collaboration with officials from the Ministry of Economy, conducted inspections of goods and vehicles at the Alakur checkpoint, resulting in the discovery of a significant quantity of illegally imported disposable e-cigarettes, e-cigarette liquid, and e-cigarette accessories.

The Zetisu Customs stated that the confiscated goods and vehicles did not provide valid documentation and failed to declare the imported goods, which violates the relevant regulations in the customs field of the Eurasian Economic Union.

According to reports, a total of eight trucks entered the Alakol customs station in Kazakhstan from China between March 1 to 6, 2023.

According to Article 154 of the Customs Code of Kazakhstan, the carrier's failure to promptly notify the customs authorities of the arrival of goods and to submit the necessary documentation constitutes a violation of Articles 524 and 531 of the Administrative Code of Kazakhstan.

During customs inspection of goods and vehicles, a total weight of 155.8 tons of e-cigarettes and accessories was discovered. According to experts' assessment, the total value of the goods reached 6.1 billion tenge (13.6 million USD) and an estimated 1.9 billion Janko (4.25 million USD) in customs duty and taxes are expected to be paid.

According to on-site photos provided by the Zetisu Customs, the confiscated e-cigarettes were found to have packaging featuring logos of brands such as HQD and INFLAVE.

These seized items have been handed over to the Zetisu Regional Economic Investigation Department for further procedural action.

References: 【1】Электронные сигареты на 6 млрд тенге изъяли в Жетысу