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Tag: bust

  • Philippines Seizes $48M in Illegal Cigarettes

    Philippines Seizes $48M in Illegal Cigarettes

    Philippine authorities are preparing to destroy more than ₱3 billion ($48 million) worth of smuggled cigarettes after seizing 59 container vans of the Modern Gia brand in coordinated operations across Cebu and Manila. The Bureau of Customs and the National Bureau of Investigation said the shipment, believed to have originated in China, is one of the country’s largest cigarette smuggling busts this year and announced plans to file multiple criminal charges against those involved, including financiers and organizers, under customs, tax, anti-economic sabotage, and potential intellectual property laws.

    Officials said the cigarettes will be shredded rather than auctioned to prevent them from re-entering the market, while investigations continue into the shipment’s origins, associated companies, and any public officials who may have facilitated the operation.

  • Malaysian Police Bust International MDMA Hub

    Malaysian Police Bust International MDMA Hub

    Malaysian police dismantled a foreign-run drug syndicate that allegedly used the country as a processing and packaging hub for MDMA-laced vape cartridges destined for Indonesia. In Operation Pijat, authorities arrested eight foreign nationals in Selangor and seized approximately 500 vape cartridges containing suspected MDMA, nearly 5 kg of the drug, and bottles of liquid MDMA with an estimated street value of RM152,400 ($38,000). Police believe the group had been operating since February, using remote locations to prepare the illicit products before smuggling them by sea, and said the syndicate had likely completed several overseas shipments before the operation disrupted its activities.

  • Philippines: Latest Crackdown Sinks $13M Illicit Operation

    Philippines: Latest Crackdown Sinks $13M Illicit Operation

    Philippine authorities dismantled a large-scale illegal cigarette manufacturing and distribution operation, seizing nearly 800 million pesos ($13 million) worth of raw materials and equipment. The Philippine National Police said the network had been operating since the third quarter of 2025 and was part of a broader illicit trade impacting government revenues.

    Officials warned that such operations significantly reduce excise tax collections intended for public services, including healthcare. Authorities have already taken similar enforcement actions in Luzon and plan to expand crackdowns to the Visayas region as part of ongoing efforts to combat the illicit tobacco trade.

  • Ukraine Conducts 70 Raids, Busts Illegal Vape Liquid Operation

    Ukraine Conducts 70 Raids, Busts Illegal Vape Liquid Operation

    The Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine and the Bureau of Economic Security of Ukraine have dismantled a large-scale illegal production and distribution network for e-cigarette liquids operating since 2023, Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko said. Authorities allege the group manufactured and sold nicotine mixtures, including non-tobacco flavors banned in Ukraine, through storefronts and online channels with more than 200 people involved.

    Over 70 simultaneous searches across Kyiv and five regions seized flavorings, base liquids, cartridges, pod systems, production equipment, $70,000 in cash, and records, with total assets valued at about UAH 30 million ($690,000). Illegal kiosks linked to the network were dismantled, assets are to be frozen, and further charges are being prepared as investigators map the full network.

  • Greece Busts Major European Illicit Cigarette Ring

    Greece Busts Major European Illicit Cigarette Ring

    Greek police dismantled a highly organized criminal network that had been producing and exporting illegal cigarettes across Europe since 2018, causing state losses exceeding €7 million. In a large-scale operation on January 6, 300 officers raided multiple locations, arresting 26 suspects, including the alleged leaders, while investigating two additional individuals. Authorities said the group operated illegal factories and warehouses, used counterfeit packaging, relied on coded communications and strawmen to conceal identities, and handled finances largely in cash. Police seized 14.4 million cigarettes, 20 tons of processed tobacco, €1.2 million in cash, vehicles, weapons, and electronic equipment. The network reportedly shipped products to several European countries, including Slovakia, and suspects now face charges linked to organized crime, smuggling, money laundering, and arms violations.

  • Bulgaria Busts Nation’s Largest Illegal Cigarette Factory

    Bulgaria Busts Nation’s Largest Illegal Cigarette Factory

    Bulgarian authorities, working with U.K. partners, dismantled what prosecutors describe as the country’s largest illegal cigarette manufacturing facility, located near Batanovtsi, about 37 km west of Sofia. Officials seized cigarettes, approximately 13.8 tons of tobacco, and a truck carrying more than 10 million cigarettes, with unpaid excise duties estimated to exceed €2.8 million. The site featured a fully integrated production operation, including tobacco processing, cigarette manufacturing, packaging equipment, storage areas, and living quarters for around 20 foreign workers. Authorities said the factory had been operating for less than three weeks and was primarily producing cigarettes for export, with investigations ongoing and several individuals identified in connection with the operation.

  • Canadian Police Dismantle Vape Shop Theft Ring

    Canadian Police Dismantle Vape Shop Theft Ring

    Two suspects were arrested in connection with multiple vape shop break-ins across Western Ontario, Canada. Police said the investigation began in November and resulted in the recovery of thousands of vaping products valued at about C$150,000 ($108,000), and was connected to a commercial storefront in Brampton, Ontario. The Canadian Vaping Association said the case highlights a broader rise in targeted thefts against vape retailers following sharp excise tax increases in 2024, which significantly raised retail prices and increased the resale value of legally compliant products, making them more attractive to organized theft and potentially feeding illicit markets where age-verification safeguards do not apply.

  • Thailand Police Bust Illegal Vape Production Hub

    Thailand Police Bust Illegal Vape Production Hub

    Thailand’s Cyber Crime Police dismantled a large-scale illegal e-cigarette production and storage operation in Pattaya, arresting a 36-year-old Chinese national and seizing vaping products and equipment valued at more than 10 million baht ($320,000). Authorities recovered thousands of ready-to-use pods, empty cartridges, coils, devices, large quantities of e-liquid, and manufacturing equipment from a rented house used as the operation’s base. Police said the crackdown aligns with national efforts to curb the illegal trade of prohibited vaping products, particularly those distributed through online platforms and tourist areas.

  • Russia’s FSB Shuts Down Major Illegal Vape Supplier in Tula Region

    Russia’s FSB Shuts Down Major Illegal Vape Supplier in Tula Region

    Working in Russia’s Tula region, Federal Security Service (FSB) officers dismantled a large-scale operation in a warehouse containing counterfeit nicotine products worth over 500 million rubles ($6 million). Authorities said a 27-year-old resident organized the sale of unmarked electronic cigarettes, vapes, and liquids in violation of labeling laws. A criminal case has been opened against him for trafficking unmarked goods on a particularly large scale. The investigation continues to trace the supply network and distribution channels.

  • Northern Ireland Busts ‘One of the Largest’ Illegal Tobacco Factories

    Northern Ireland Busts ‘One of the Largest’ Illegal Tobacco Factories

    Authorities in Northern Ireland dismantled what is believed to be one of the country’s largest illegal tobacco factories, following an October 5 raid by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) with support from the police. The operation uncovered a “state-of-the-art factory” equipped with expensive machinery, professional extraction equipment, and soundproofing insulation. Officers seized nine tons of tobacco and 1.3 million cigarettes, with an estimated value of over £3 million in unpaid duty. Seven men were arrested on suspicion of fraudulent evasion of duty, and investigations are ongoing.

    Dermot Clarke, operational lead in HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service, described the site as “one of the most sophisticated tobacco factories we have ever uncovered in Northern Ireland,” warning that illicit trade harms public services, undermines legitimate businesses, and funds other criminal activity.