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Tag: illicit

  • Jordan Customs Seizes Smuggled Cigarettes, Vapes, and More

    Jordan Customs Seizes Smuggled Cigarettes, Vapes, and More

    Jordan Customs Department’s Anti-Smuggling Directorate, working with security agencies, announced the seizure of a large haul of contraband tobacco and nicotine products in two separate cases today (September 11). Authorities confiscated 13,100 cartons of smuggled cigarettes, 2,130 e-cigarettes, 13,800 packs of e-liquids and vape juices, 610 kilograms of hookah tobacco, and 8,250 cigars, placing the items under custody pending legal action.

    Officials said the goods pose serious health risks and undermine the national economy by entering the market without meeting Jordanian health and safety standards.

  • NSW’s New Laws Aimed at Curbing Illegal Tobacco Trade

    NSW’s New Laws Aimed at Curbing Illegal Tobacco Trade

    The New South Wales (NSW) Parliament passed sweeping new laws to crack down on the illegal tobacco trade, with offenders now facing some of the harshest penalties in Australia. Under the legislation, those convicted of selling illicit tobacco could face fines of up to A$1.5 million ($1 million), prison sentences of up to seven years, and the closure of their businesses. The measures will work alongside the state’s new tobacco licensing scheme, designed to make it easier to identify and remove rogue operators, and will be enforced by NSW Health’s newly established Centre for Regulation and Enforcement.

    The government said the reforms are aimed at protecting public health and safeguarding legitimate retailers, while disrupting the operations of criminal syndicates profiting from tax evasion, addiction, and youth exposure to tobacco.

  • Thailand Police Seize $2.8M in Illegal E-Cigarettes

    Thailand Police Seize $2.8M in Illegal E-Cigarettes

    Police and excise officials seized more than 559,000 illegal e-cigarettes and related parts during a raid in Wiharn Daeng district, Saraburi, Thailand. The announcement came at a press conference today (September 10), led by Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau Commissioner Pol Lt Gen Trairong Phiewphan, one day after the operation.

    Trairong said cybercrime officers tracked a suspected pickup truck from Bangkok to a warehouse in Moo 4 village, Tambon Bang Lam. Upon inspection, authorities discovered 138,680 disposable INFY vapes, 40,800 disposable Escobar vapes, 374,000 pod heads for INFY devices, and 6,350 INFY vapes. The haul is valued at an estimated 90 million baht ($2.8 million).

  • 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.

  • China’s North Korean Smuggling Problem Not Gone Yet

    China’s North Korean Smuggling Problem Not Gone Yet

    While a report from Daily NK last week said China’s crackdown on smuggled cigarettes from North Korea ground the illegal activities to a halt, a story yesterday (August 26) from Radio Free Asia (RFA) suggests otherwise. Smugglers and traders told the news outlet that the combination of surging demand and lenient penalties (compared to other contraband) makes the trade highly profitable.

    Residents in North Korea’s Yanggang province told RFA that the cross-border trade, which began about two years ago, has expanded sharply in recent months. Smugglers move 20–50 boxes per trip, each containing 500 packs, earning around 50 yuan ($8) profit per box.

    While legally imported North Korean brands such as Chosun are sold mainly as pricey tourist souvenirs, smuggled cigarettes are mostly in unmarked packaging and then rebranded by Chinese manufacturers in Jilin province and sold as domestic products. North Korean cigarettes cost as little as 2,500–3,500 won ($0.36–0.50) per pack, far cheaper than Chinese brands. According to RFA, factories such as Korea Sonbong General Corporation and Paeksan Cigarette Company supply the bulk of production near the border.

    China, home to more than 300 million smokers, consumes about one-third of the world’s cigarettes, making the black market highly lucrative. Sources say the smuggling trade is expected to keep growing due to the low cost of North Korean tobacco and the relatively light punishments for offenders.

  • Malaysian Vapers Alliance Warns Ban Risks Fueling Illegal Market

    Malaysian Vapers Alliance Warns Ban Risks Fueling Illegal Market

    The Malaysian Vapers Alliance (MVA) cautioned that uncertainty over state and potential nationwide vape bans undermines the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 (Act 852) and drives consumers toward illegal channels. MVA president Khairil Azizi Khairuddin said a recent survey of 641 consumers found 74% fear bans will expand the illicit market, while 80% worry unregulated products could be unsafe. “Prohibition, in any form, is not the answer,” he said, urging consistent enforcement of Act 852 instead of new restrictions.

    The survey showed 83% of respondents were aware of the law’s implementation in October 2024, and 68% preferred buying regulated products. Yet MoH data indicates legal options are shrinking, with registered vape brands plunging from 3,200 before the law to 390 today. Khairil warned that crackdowns on illegal sales, including drug-laced liquids, prove non-compliant products stem from illicit trade, not regulated businesses.

  • Philippines Facing $720M Loss from Illicit Tobacco Trade

    Philippines Facing $720M Loss from Illicit Tobacco Trade

    The Philippine Tobacco Institute (PTI) warned that the proliferation of illicit cigarettes is costing the government over ₱40 billion ($720 million) annually in lost excise taxes while undermining public health by making cheap tobacco more accessible, especially to minors. PTI president Jericho Nograles said these unregulated products evade taxes, use expired or fake BIR stamps, and fail to meet quality standards, exposing consumers to health risks. The group urged the public to buy only cigarettes with valid tax stamps and report products sold below the legal price floor.

    Japan Tobacco International Philippines said high taxes have widened the price gap, driving demand for smuggled products. Meanwhile, the Bureau of Internal Revenue has filed 75 tax evasion cases worth ₱711.3 million ($12.8 million) against vape retailers and is pushing for expanded powers to shut down violators.

  • Queensland Seizes 45M Cigarettes, 350K Vapes in Black Market Crackdown

    Queensland Seizes 45M Cigarettes, 350K Vapes in Black Market Crackdown

    Queensland Health (Australia) seized 45 million illegal cigarettes, 350,000 vapes, and over six tons of loose-leaf tobacco since November 2024, as part of a statewide crackdown on the illicit tobacco trade. Authorities say new laws introduced in May have strengthened penalties and enforcement powers, aiming to dismantle the growing illicit tobacco network.

    The surge in black market activity comes despite recent government efforts to tighten enforcement. A 2024 Brisbane Times investigation found widespread illegal sales across Brisbane, with foreign brands like Manchester, Double Happiness, and ESSE openly sold at half the price of legal products.

  • Hong Kong Customs Being Overwhelmed by Smuggled Cigarettes

    Hong Kong Customs Being Overwhelmed by Smuggled Cigarettes

    Hong Kong Customs reported a sharp rise in cigarette smuggling this year, seizing 200 million illicit cigarettes worth HK$1 billion ($130 million) in the first five months, a fourfold increase from the same period in 2024.

    Customs Commissioner Chan Tsz-tat attributed the surge to well-organized smuggling networks exploiting cross-border travel. Last year saw about 19,000 smuggling cases by travelers; this number is expected to surpass 30,000 in 2025.

    To combat the problem, customs plans to intensify efforts to dismantle the entire smuggling supply chain—from transportation to retail—and increase awareness campaigns at key border crossings. Under Hong Kong law, travelers are allowed to bring in only 19 cigarettes duty-free per person.

    In addition, the agency faces a significant backlog in disposing of seized narcotics, with over 100 tons in storage. Current destruction processes could take up to 35 years, prompting authorities to explore faster methods, including streamlined procedures and a dedicated armed escort team.

    Hong Kong Customs is also collaborating with mainland e-commerce platforms like Taobao and Pinduoduo to block sales and shipments of banned goods, although differing laws between Hong Kong and mainland China present ongoing challenges.

  • Indonesia: Two Arrested for Making Narcotic-Laced Vapes in Apartment

    Indonesia: Two Arrested for Making Narcotic-Laced Vapes in Apartment

    Two people were arrested in North Sumatra, Indonesia, for allegedly operating an illegal drug lab that produced vape liquids infused with narcotics. Acting on a public tip, police raided an apartment and uncovered a makeshift factory that was producing up to 300 narcotic-laced vape cartridges per day, each selling for Rp 5 million ($305).

    North Sumatra Police Narcotics Division Chief Sr. Comr. Jean Calvijn Simanjuntak said police seized 2,965 cartridges, along with raw materials, solvents, flavoring agents, and sweeteners used in production.

    Both suspects were reportedly repeat drug offenders and are believed to have been running the illegal lab for at least six months.