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Tag: bust

  • 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.

  • Italy Busts Largest Counterfeit Cigarette Factory

    Italy Busts Largest Counterfeit Cigarette Factory

    Italian customs seized over 150 tons of counterfeit cigarettes from what authorities say is the country’s largest illegal factory, located near Cassino. The 1,600-square-meter underground facility produced an estimated 2.7 billion cigarettes annually and was hidden behind a sophisticated hydraulic mechanism in a logistics warehouse.

    The bunker included three production lines, a ventilation system, and living quarters for workers. Officials estimate the operation generated over €900 million ($1.1 billion) annually, with €600 million in evaded taxes uncovered so far. Several suspects have been identified, and one person has been arrested.

  • Midwest Goods Responds to FDA Seizure, Says Actions are ‘Troubling’

    Midwest Goods Responds to FDA Seizure, Says Actions are ‘Troubling’

    Following yesterday’s (September 10) news that federal officials seized $86.5 million worth of illicit vapes in Chicago, Midwest Goods confirmed that agents from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Marshals executed a civil seizure warrant at its facilities, targeting more than 75 brands of bottled e-liquids used in refillable vaping devices. The company said it is fully cooperating with authorities.

    In a statement, Midwest emphasized that the products cited in the warrant are manufactured in the U.S. by companies employing “hundreds, if not thousands,” of American workers. Many of the e-liquids, the company said, are tied to premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) that have been pending with the FDA since as far back as September 2020, despite a statutory requirement for review within 180 days. Midwest noted that the FDA has previously allowed these products to remain on the market during the prolonged review process.

    “Midwest has always attempted to work cooperatively with FDA,” the company said in its statement. “After a recent FDA inspection in August, we advised FDA that we had removed from our product catalog and inventory several ENDS products about which FDA inspectors had inquired. We also offered to remove other ENDS products from our product catalog if FDA was concerned about our continuing to offer them for sale. FDA acknowledged receipt of our correspondence, but did not request that we stop selling any other products.”

    The company called the enforcement action “troubling,” particularly in light of reports that FDA is preparing to expedite reviews of products tied to larger companies with more recent applications, while seizing long-pending independent products. It pledged to continue cooperating with federal authorities while reserving the right to challenge the seizure in court.

    Read the full statement here.

  • NYC Charges 12 Distributors in Largest Vape Sting in State History

    NYC Charges 12 Distributors in Largest Vape Sting in State History

    New York City carried out the biggest criminal vape enforcement action in its history, resulting in more than a dozen arrests and nearly 40 criminal charges, Governor Kathy Hochul announced on September 3. The crackdown, led by the New York State Department of Health and State Police, targeted businesses accused of illegally selling and distributing vapor products across the state.

    Authorities said many of the seized products were disposable e-cigarettes and flavored e-liquids that are especially appealing to youth. Some devices featured bright packaging, digital display screens, and designs resembling smartphones or video games, raising additional concerns about their appeal to minors.

    Companies caught up in the operation include Shindler Distribution (Vaporush), ePuffer, Vape4Style, Beyond Vape, NYC Glass 718, Vaperdudes, and Shinnecock Vape Shop. “These companies built their business models around breaking New York’s laws and targeting our kids—now we’re holding them accountable,” Hochul said, stressing that the state will continue to pursue offenders aggressively.