TobaccoReporter logo

Tag: illicit

  • Overseas Seizures Show Korea Used as Tobacco Smuggling Hub

    Overseas Seizures Show Korea Used as Tobacco Smuggling Hub

    South Korea’s customs agency said millions of packs of smuggled cigarettes were seized overseas last year through joint operations with foreign authorities, underscoring the country’s growing use as a transshipment hub by international smuggling networks. The Korea Customs Service (KCS) said nearly 5.2 million packs, weighing about 103 tons, were confiscated abroad after being routed through South Korea.

    According to the KCS, major seizures included roughly 760,000 packs in the United States, 380,000 in Hong Kong, 260,000 in the United Kingdom, and 230,000 in Taiwan. The total far exceeds the 3.6 million packs detected overseas between 2019 and 2021, highlighting a sharp rise in cases linked to Korea-based transit routes.

    A KCS official said cigarette smuggling, like drug trafficking, is a key funding source for criminal syndicates. The agency said it will further strengthen international cooperation to prevent South Korea from being exploited as a logistics hub for global illicit trade.

  • Philippines Cracking Down on Illicits, Many Drug Laced

    Philippines Cracking Down on Illicits, Many Drug Laced

    The Philippine National Police (PNP) is stepping up efforts to curb the smuggling and spread of “Thuoc Lao,” or black cigarettes, as part of a broader crackdown on illegal tobacco products. Acting PNP chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said police are strengthening intelligence operations with the Bureau of Customs, Department of Health, and other agencies, following a directive from President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to protect public health.

    Authorities say Thuoc Lao—also known locally as “tuklaw”—is a highly potent tobacco product from northern Vietnam, with nicotine levels reportedly reaching up to 9%, far higher than conventional cigarettes. Some variants are also suspected of being laced with synthetic cannabinoids. The product is not authorized for import by the National Tobacco Administration, and officials raised alarms last year after reports that teenagers experienced seizure-like symptoms after smoking it.

    The crackdown comes amid broader concerns about illicit nicotine products entering the Philippine market. The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency has warned that some vape products may contain the same synthetic cannabinoids found in Thuoc Lao, prompting closer coordination between law enforcement and health authorities to prevent further spread and protect youth.

  • $3.2M Illicit Vape Ring Using Fishing Boats Busted in Taiwan

    $3.2M Illicit Vape Ring Using Fishing Boats Busted in Taiwan

    Prosecutors in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, indicted five suspects over a major tobacco smuggling operation uncovered in August, involving contraband cigarettes and heated tobacco products transported by fishing vessels. Authorities seized more than one million packages of undeclared tobacco products worth an estimated NT$100 million ($3.2 million), marking one of the largest busts in the city’s history.

    The operation followed months of surveillance by a joint task force comprising police, coast guard personnel, and prosecutors, who tracked three fishing boats suspected of collecting illicit cargo from foreign vessels outside Taiwan’s territorial waters before docking at Singda Harbor.

    All seized products were confiscated, and the suspects—three boat captains and two truck drivers—were indicted for violating the Tobacco and Alcohol Administration Act, prosecutors said.

  • UK Seized 1.2M Illicit Vapes in 2025

    UK Seized 1.2M Illicit Vapes in 2025

    New figures from UK local councils show that authorities seized an average of two illegal vapes every minute in 2025, removing around 1.2 million illicit devices from high streets nationwide. More than 14,000 enforcement cases were logged involving businesses caught possessing, stocking or selling illegal vaping products, reflecting a sharp rise in unlawful nicotine goods entering local retail outlets.

    Over the past year, enforcement teams also confiscated 7.15 million illegal cigarettes, 257,000 illegal disposable vapes and nearly 10,000 nicotine pouches. Consumer confusion remains widespread, with 54% of UK vapers saying they believe they have unknowingly bought illegal products.

    The data, compiled by online retailer Vape Club through freedom of information requests to local councils and a survey of 2,000 vapers, found that suspected illegal products were most often bought from convenience stores (36%), followed by vape shops (33%) and market stalls or street traders (26%). Vape Club director Dan Marchant said the trade in non-compliant products is damaging the industry’s reputation and called for tougher enforcement against rogue sellers.

  • 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.

  • Bulgarian Police Seize 400 Kg of Illicit Hookah Tobacco

    Bulgarian Police Seize 400 Kg of Illicit Hookah Tobacco

    Bulgarian police arrested two men in Sofia for possessing more than 400 kg of untaxed hookah tobacco worth more than BGN 100,000 ($60,000), officials said. The suspects, identified as two brothers in their 50s, were detained following a police operation after officers found untaxed tobacco in their vehicle and later uncovered the large cache in a nearby building. Authorities said the tobacco was intended for nationwide commercial distribution and had been sold through direct deliveries and courier services for nearly a year. A third individual suspected of involvement was also detained, and pre-trial proceedings are underway.

  • Van Stopped with Nearly $500K in Illicits in Australia

    Van Stopped with Nearly $500K in Illicits in Australia

    A man has been charged after cigarettes and tobacco worth A$752,000 ($496,000) were seized during a road stop in Australia’s south yesterday (December 18). Officers stopped a van on the southbound lane of the Hume Highway, Gundagai, for the purpose of random testing. Police searched the van and seized 400 kg of loose-leaf tobacco and 235,000 illicit cigarettes.

    The man was issued with a field court attendance notice for goods in custody, to appear in Gundagai Local Court in February.

  • Italians Bust Illicit Factory Making 4M Cigarettes Per Day

    Italians Bust Illicit Factory Making 4M Cigarettes Per Day

    Italian and European authorities dismantled a large illegal tobacco factory near Rome capable of producing up to 4 million counterfeit cigarettes a day, according to statements from Italy’s Guardia di Finanza and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO). The main site, located in Pomezia, about 30 km south of Rome, manufactured cigarettes bearing well-known international brands.

    During coordinated raids, officers seized 27 tons of finished cigarettes, 19 tons of raw tobacco, large quantities of packaging materials, and four lorries (trailer trucks). A second facility in Ferentino, used for the storage of materials and finished products, was also uncovered. Seven men from Ukraine and Bulgaria were referred to judicial authorities on charges related to tobacco smuggling and trademark counterfeiting.

    Authorities estimate the operation generated products worth about €700,000 per day, or €240 million annually, resulting in roughly €160 million in unpaid taxes and excise duties. Investigators said the suspects used jamming devices and surveillance countermeasures to evade detection, with the sites ultimately identified through drones, video surveillance, and extended monitoring.

  • China Calls for Full-Crackdown on Illicit Tobacco Products

    China Calls for Full-Crackdown on Illicit Tobacco Products

    China’s State Council has issued new policy guidance aimed at cracking down on tobacco-related illegal activities across the entire supply chain, seeking to address persistent problems such as counterfeiting, smuggling, and intellectual property infringement. The document, titled Opinions on Combating Tobacco-related Illegal Activities in the Whole Chain, outlines targeted measures to clean up the tobacco market and protect national interests and consumer rights.

    The Opinions call for intensified action against overseas counterfeiting and the smuggling of tobacco into China, including stronger law enforcement cooperation with other countries, tighter sea and land border controls, and stricter oversight of ports, transit trade, and cross-border logistics. Authorities are also instructed to strengthen risk control over international transport and parcels, and to curb smuggling through cross-border e-commerce and transportation personnel.

    Domestically, the policy mandates a high-pressure crackdown on illegal production, storage, transport, and sale of tobacco products, including counterfeit cigarettes and unapproved nicotine products. It also tightens supervision of e-cigarettes and bans the unauthorized manufacture and sale of tobacco-like products and simple cigarette-making equipment. The State Council stressed the need for stronger inter-agency coordination, professionalized enforcement teams, and strict, standardized law enforcement, urging local governments and departments to fully assume responsibility for implementing the measures.

  • Illicit Tobacco Cost S. Africa $2.4B Over Last Five Years

    Illicit Tobacco Cost S. Africa $2.4B Over Last Five Years

    South Africa’s Revenue Service (Sars) estimates it lost R40 billion ($2.4 billion) in excise revenue between 2020 and 2025 due to the illicit tobacco trade, a problem that worsened during the Covid-19 ban on cigarette and tobacco sales, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said. Responding to a parliamentary question, Godongwana said the National Treasury has adopted a differentiated approach to excise duty increases, taking into account market dynamics, illicit trade, and fiscal needs.

    Tobacco producers have suggested that high excise duties have pushed consumers toward cheaper illegal cigarettes, deepening black-market activity; however, Godongwana counters that excise duties on cigarettes have not been raised above inflation since the 2023 budget, helping cigarette and tobacco excise revenue recover 8.7% to R9bn ($540 million) in 2024/25, though still below pre-pandemic levels.

    To curb illicit trade, Sars has stepped up enforcement, recording 576 seizures worth R265 million ($15.9 million) in 2024/25 and 233 seizures worth R135.5 million ($8.1 million) so far in 2025. Measures include audits, license suspensions, and CCTV monitoring at manufacturing sites.