Young Man's Addiction to E-Cigarettes Leads him to Drug Trafficking

A 20-year-old man has become addicted to "high-tech e-cigarettes" and started a small business selling e-cigarette liquid to avoid risks. He enlisted the help of a friend to collect payments.

The electronic cigarette oil seized by the public security organs.

Initially thinking that working with a childhood friend would be enough to pull off a successful scheme, Chen Chen's illegal sale of "high-tech electronic cigarettes" was eventually exposed. Following a thorough investigation, authorities apprehended Chen Chen and other drug traffickers and uncovered evidence of Zhou Kang's money laundering crimes. After reviewing the case, the Zhangjiagang City Prosecutor's Office in Jiangsu Province decided to bring charges against the drug traffickers, while offering Zhou Kang a relative non-prosecution due to the small amount of his crimes and his admission of guilt. On May 9, the Zhangjiagang City Court held a hearing for this case. Recently, the court sentenced Chen Chen to four years in prison and imposed a fine of 10,000 yuan for drug trafficking and transportation, and sentenced Chen Chen to six months in prison and a fine of 5,000 yuan for money laundering, with both sentences combined to result in four years and two months in prison and a fine of 15,000 yuan.

Poor Choice of Friends: Young Man Goes Down the Wrong Path

A 20-year-old named Chen Chen, who did not complete high school, found a job at an automotive repair shop where he became acquainted with various friends. One day, while being persuaded by a friend named Wang Peng, Chen Chen tried an electronic cigarette and was immediately hooked. He began to use the electronic cigarette frequently and found himself easily distracted during work.

The cigarettes and vape juice seized by law enforcement agencies.

After experiencing the pleasure of using an electronic cigarette for the first time, Chen Chen wanted to experience it again. He contacted Wang Peng to learn about purchasing options. Wang Peng introduced him to a seller and after some inquiries, Chen Chen immediately placed an order. Shortly after, he received the "Superior Electronic Cigarette" by mail.

Chen Chen became involved in the world of electronic cigarette vaping through the use of "upgraded e-cigarettes" and met another seller named "Kite" through a chat app. Due to "Kite" selling the products at a lower price, Chen often purchased e-liquid for his "upgraded e-cigarette" from "Kite".

Using Selling, Rearing, and Sucking: "Drug Addicts" Weave a Poisonous Web.

After a few months, Chen Chen's demand for "Uphead E-cigarettes" grew stronger and stronger, and the money he saved from working at a car repair shop was not enough. By chance, someone in his circle asked Chen to purchase the e-cigarette oil for them. Chen found out that purchasing a 5 mL bottle of oil from the supplier cost 100 yuan, but after selling it to others, he could make a profit of 250 yuan or even 350 yuan. This price difference sparked Chen's idea to sell "Uphead E-cigarettes" and oil. He immediately started promoting his business on social media among friends, and gradually began building his own small enterprise.

As his consumption of "strong e-cigarettes" increased, Chen Chen's mood became irritable and agitated. He realized that his body might be suffering and decided to quit electronic cigarettes, but ultimately could not resist the temptation of the "strong e-cigarettes" and relapsed back into addiction.

In order to cater to his dependency on "Shangtou e-cigarettes" and further expand his small business, Chen Chen resigned from his job at an automobile repair shop and focused on posting advertisements on his WeChat Moments with wording such as "legally high," "flying," and "spacewalk," in order to promote "Shangtou e-cigarettes." These ads attracted a large number of buyers, including students of Chen's age, young people who had just entered the workforce, and even minors aged 15 or 16. After these buyers placed orders on WeChat, Chen would find someone to help deliver the goods. Prior to delivery, Chen would pour out a little bit of the e-liquid from each bottle for his own use.

In the meantime, Sha Mingming reached out to him expressing his interest in selling e-cigarette liquids. The two of them quickly came to an agreement on the price and Sha Mingming became Chen Chen's distributor.

Thanks to the joint efforts of Chen Chen and Sha Mingming, the number of people smoking "strong e-cigarettes" is increasing. As many buyers are young people and the "strong e-cigarettes" are not cheap, these people have joined Chen Chen's team to become "middlemen" in the sales chain, in order to continue enjoying "strong e-cigarettes" in the face of financial difficulties. Chen Chen and Sha Mingming have become their "suppliers". A bottle of 5 ml vape juice, after multiple resales, is sold for as much as 500 or even 600 yuan, compared to the original price of 100 yuan.

In June 2021, Chen Chen stumbled upon a news article stating that substances containing cannabinoids would be classified as drugs under national control, effective July 1st. Concerned, he immediately searched the internet for more information. After reassurance from his supplier, "Kite," that there would be no issues, Chen Chen's anxieties were alleviated.

Continued Mistakes: "Good Brother" Helps Launder Money.

When Chen Chen saw his "poisonous network" gradually form, he was delighted but also worried about the possibility of the police finding him. He decided to take measures to avoid risks. After some thought, Chen Chen remembered his childhood friend, Zhou Kang.

Zhou Kang is a student and has had a close relationship with Chen Chen since childhood. Chen Chen confided in Zhou Kang about his dealings in selling "top-tier electronic cigarettes." He explained that he was concerned about the large volume of funds flowing through his account and the possibility of being caught by the police. Chen Chen asked Zhou Kang to provide his WeChat payment code to collect money from the sales of the "top-tier electronic cigarettes.

Zhou Kang learned that Chen Chen was engaged in illegal activities. He saw his former friend becoming increasingly thin and weak due to smoking "high-tech electronic cigarettes" and advised him multiple times to quit. Chen Chen also realized that his health was deteriorating and made the decision to quit, but after three days of struggling, he gave up once again.

Zhou Kang was unable to resist his "good buddy's" persistence, and upon receiving Chen Chen's promise to stop after a short period of time, he agreed to help collect payment as he believed that he was only providing his WeChat payment code and not participating in Chen Chen's drug trafficking "business".

From July 5th to July 13th, Zhou Kang's WeChat account received transfers from unidentified accounts. Each time he received money, he promptly transferred the funds to the account specified by Chen Chen. Within a week, he received over 2,300 yuan in transfers.

On October 30, 2021, Chen Chen was criminally detained on suspicion of drug trafficking by the public security authorities after an investigation. After being taken into custody, Chen Chen admitted to his criminal behavior. On December 31 of the same year, the Zhangjiagang City Procuratorate brought charges of drug trafficking, drug transportation, and money laundering against Chen Chen.

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