In a recent case announced yesterday by the Xiamen Public Security Bureau, a new type of e-cigarette disguised as cute and whimsical products including a pink "Adorable Tiger Cup" and one designed in the style of traditional Chinese opera has been found to contain nicotine oil, flavorings, and even marijuana compounds. Heating these e-cigarettes may pose a health risk as it could potentially release carcinogenic substances. This marks the first case in the province where individuals have been prosecuted for producing and selling counterfeit e-cigarettes. The initial group of suspects involved in the crime was successfully transferred for prosecution at the end of July in accordance with the law.
According to reports, in order to crack down on the production and sale of counterfeit e-cigarettes, the Xiamen police, under the guidance of the Public Security Department of Fujian Province, have carried out four cross-province operations since the beginning of this year. They have successfully arrested 22 suspects, dismantling one illegal e-cigarette production site, six storage sites, and ten sales points. Five illegal e-cigarette production lines were also disrupted. More than 100,000 illegal e-cigarettes, along with 36 pieces of production equipment and a large amount of production materials and accessories, with an estimated value of over one hundred million yuan have been seized.
Online and offline batch sales under the guise of daily necessities have been sent to 80 cities by mail.
In late February of this year, the provincial tobacco department provided clues suggesting that the suspect, Xu Mouxiang, was disguising e-cigarette products as packages for delivery. The Food and Drug Investigation Detachment immediately formed a task force together with the Siming Public Security Sub-bureau, the Municipal Tobacco Monopoly Bureau, and the Siming District Tobacco Monopoly Bureau to initiate an investigation. "He often sends packages under the guise of daily necessities," said Gao Qiang, captain of the second squadron of the investigative team of the Food and Drug Investigation Detachment. After conducting inquiries, the task force discovered that this criminal group had been selling fake e-cigarette products through mailing services to 30 provinces and 80 cities nationwide.
After nearly half a month of investigation, the Xiamen police have gradually gained a grasp of the criminal activities of this gang. "Xu Mouxiang acts as an intermediary and wholesaler, connecting with e-cigarette manufacturers in Dongguan and multiple e-cigarette brands, and then selling in bulk to customers and retailers through both online and offline channels," said Gao Qiang. The Xiamen police have identified and locked down the main culprits responsible for soliciting customers in Xiamen, namely Weng Mouming and Xu Mouxiang, and have also discovered the production base in Dongguan and the sales gang in Nanning.
The criminal gang has been engaging in illegal production and sale of e-cigarettes for a long time, establishing a network of suppliers and distributors across multiple provinces with a large number of individuals involved. After swiftly uncovering the organizational structure and criminal activities of the gang, the special task force encountered a challenge.
After the official implementation of the mandatory national standard for e-cigarettes in 2022, there was a lack of precedent for cases involving the production and sale of counterfeit e-cigarettes nationwide. How would these cases proceed? Under what charges would the suspects be arrested? The special investigation team engaged in extensive communication and coordination with the provincial, municipal, and district-level prosecution departments, as well as tobacco authorities. Ultimately, the main perpetrator was charged with the crime of producing and selling counterfeit products, effectively closing the gap in such cases.
Raw materials for cigarette production are stacked in the toilet and the components are all cheap plastic. Since March, the special task force has closely cooperated with the Guangdong and Guangxi police to successfully carry out four targeted operations in Xiamen, Dongguan, Nanning, and other cities, apprehending a total of 22 suspects including Weng Mouming and Xu Mouxiang, effectively dismantling the entire production, storage, transportation, and sales chain of the criminal gang involved in the production and sale of counterfeit e-cigarettes.
In a warehouse located in Siming District, Weng was found to be producing counterfeit e-cigarettes disguised as common beverage containers such as "cola cups" and "milk tea cups" (non-national standard fruit-flavored e-cigarettes). At the production site in Dongguan, our city's police discovered fruit-flavored e-liquid raw materials stored in the restroom, with each barrel weighing 20 kilograms. They also seized cheap plastic e-cigarette device components, which can be used to produce billions of yuan worth of counterfeit e-cigarettes. On average, an e-cigarette is sold for prices ranging from 120 yuan to 300 yuan, and the suspects involved in the production and sale of counterfeit e-cigarettes are making huge profits from this illegal activity.
During subsequent investigations into the distribution points, the police discovered that these points of sale and inventory were located in close proximity to schools and supermarkets, for example, e-cigarettes in the shape of "Menghu" were particularly enticing for students to purchase. Currently, the case is still under further investigation.
How to ascertain the authenticity of e-cigarettes?
Gao Peisen, Director of the Gulangyu Special Administration Office of the Siming District Bureau of Xiamen Tobacco Monopoly, has introduced three aspects to distinguish whether e-cigarettes are counterfeit or inferior.
Firstly, any e-cigarette product with non-tobacco flavors, such as fruit flavors, does not conform to the national standard for e-cigarettes. Secondly, reputable e-cigarette products and smoking apparatuses have warning signs on their packaging, such as "E-cigarette use is harmful to health, please refrain from using in non-smoking areas." Thirdly, legitimate e-cigarette products come with a QR code on the packaging, which allows consumers to verify their authenticity.
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