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Tag: illicit

  • 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.

  • Two More Arrested in Hong Kong, Smuggling 60K Vapes

    Two More Arrested in Hong Kong, Smuggling 60K Vapes

    Hong Kong authorities sentenced two men to six months in prison after 60,000 alternative smoking products were found in their luggage upon arrival from Japan, the Department of Health (DH) said. The Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office (TACO) made the arrest after it was notified by Hong Kong Customs on December 15.

    Since amended tobacco control legislation took effect on September 19, granting arrest powers to TACO inspectors, 14 importation cases involving alternative smoking products have been prosecuted. Sixteen people have been convicted, receiving prison sentences of two to six months.

    Under Hong Kong law, importing alternative smoking products—including e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and herbal cigarettes—can result in fines of up to HK$2 million ($260,000) and imprisonment of up to seven years.

  • Pakistan Seizes $68M in Illicit Raw Tobacco

    Pakistan Seizes $68M in Illicit Raw Tobacco

    Pakistan’s Regional Tax Office (RTO) Peshawar sealed several warehouses in District Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and seized non-duty-paid raw tobacco as part of a tax evasion crackdown. Authorities estimate the operation exposed tax evasion worth Rs19 billion ($68.4 million), marking a major enforcement action by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).

    According to an official statement, the RTO confiscated around 2.75 million kg of raw, non-duty paid tobacco from the Khyber Tobacco Company. The evaded Federal Excise Duty on the recovered stock is estimated at Rs1.1 billion ($4 million), and further action is expected against the company.

  • Czech Officials Increasing Illicit Tobacco Seizures

    Czech Officials Increasing Illicit Tobacco Seizures

    Customs officers in the Czech Republic seized thousands of unlabeled tobacco products during inspections in the Cheb region of western Czechia, uncovering large-scale violations of excise tax regulations. The haul included both conventional cigarettes and electronic cigarettes bearing invalid or no excise markings, suggesting deliberate attempts to evade tax obligations.

    At a shopping center in the town of Aš, officers discovered nearly 70,000 unlabeled cigarettes and almost one liter of liquid intended for disposable e-cigarettes. The items were found in vehicles parked behind retail premises. Authorities estimated the total value of the seized goods at more than CZK 547,000 ($26,000) with a potential excise tax loss of nearly CZK 325,000 ($16,000).

    In a separate operation at a business in Pomezí nad Ohří, customs officers confiscated 1,480 disposable e-cigarettes valued at over CZK 1.4 million ($67,000).