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Tag: raid

  • Hong Kong Customs Seizes $3M in Untaxed Cigs

    Hong Kong Customs Seizes $3M in Untaxed Cigs

    Hong Kong Customs seized about seven million untaxed cigarettes valued at HK$31.5 million ($4.1 million), with an estimated duty potential of HK$23 million ($3 million), during a raid on an industrial building in Fo Tan on December 30. A 45-year-old local man was arrested after officers spotted him moving cartons from a unit late at night, discovering about 600,000 cigarettes on him and another 6.4 million inside the premises.

    Customs said the roughly 1,000-square-foot warehouse, formed by merging two units, contained large quantities of cigarettes and packaging materials, indicating plans to repackage and smuggle the products to overseas markets with higher tobacco taxes. Some illicit brands appeared to be stockpiled for the Christmas and New Year period. Authorities said investigations into the source and distribution network are ongoing, and further arrests are possible.

  • 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.

  • Malaysian Raid Seizes $2.7M in Illicit Vapes

    Malaysian Raid Seizes $2.7M in Illicit Vapes

    Malaysia’s Customs Department detailed the seizure of more than RM13 million ($2.7 million) worth of illicit vape devices and liquids during an October raid on a storage warehouse in Padang Besar. Officers discovered 719,250 units, including over 211,000 devices and 508,000 liquids, all of which were believed to be undeclared and lacked the required Health Ministry import permits.

    The products, imported from China, had arrived via Kuala Lumpur International Airport before being transported to Perlis. A man in his 40s is under investigation, and authorities are probing whether the stock was intended for domestic sale or re-export.

  • Hong Kong Customs Seizes 240,000 Illicit Cigarettes in Raid

    Hong Kong Customs Seizes 240,000 Illicit Cigarettes in Raid

    On Wednesday (November 12), Hong Kong Customs raided a suspected illicit cigarette storage center in Kwai Chung, seizing approximately 240,000 cigarettes with an estimated market value of HK$1.1 million ($140,000) and potential duties of HK$790,000 ($103,000). Customs investigation revealed that the syndicate used hotel rooms as temporary storage, employing an “ant-moving-home” distribution method to evade detection. During the raid, officers intercepted 80,000 cigarettes from four men and later seized an additional 160,000 cigarettes from a hotel room, arresting a fifth individual. The suspects have been charged under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance and are scheduled to appear at West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts.

  • UK Crackdown Seizes Millions in Illegal Cigarettes, Tobacco, and Vapes

    UK Crackdown Seizes Millions in Illegal Cigarettes, Tobacco, and Vapes

    More than 4.5 million illegal cigarettes, 600kg of illicit tobacco, and 111,000 illegal vapes have been seized in a nationwide crackdown on criminal activity across UK high streets, officials said. The month-long Operation Machinize 2, led by the National Crime Agency (NCA) with police forces, HMRC, and Trading Standards, targeted businesses being used as fronts for money laundering and illicit sales. Authorities raided 2,734 premises, made 924 arrests, and seized £10.7 million in suspected criminal proceeds.

    Officials said the operation disrupted organized crime networks exploiting small shops for tax evasion and the sale of counterfeit goods. The NCA estimated the haul represents £3.4 million in unpaid duty, while counterfeit and harmful products worth £2.7 million were destroyed.

    Security Minister Dan Jarvis said the coordinated effort was part of a broader drive to “dismantle criminal networks and protect honest business owners,” while NCA officials hailed the operation as a “new standard” in joint enforcement.

    The first phase of Operation Machinize in April yielded far smaller seizures, highlighting the growing scale of illicit trade on UK high streets.

  • Police Bust Illegal E-Cigarette Factory in Bangkok

    Police Bust Illegal E-Cigarette Factory in Bangkok

    Thai police raided an illegal e-cigarette factory in Bangkok’s Bang Khunthian district, arresting two Chinese managers and seizing around 20,000 vaping products along with production equipment. The Economic Crime Suppression Division (ECD) acted on a tip that the facility, rented by Chinese investors, was being used to manufacture and store vaping devices and liquids, which are banned under Thai law.

    Two Chinese nationals were taken into custody and charged with colluding in the production and sale of illegal e-cigarettes. Authorities also detained 11 Myanmar nationals working at the warehouse, identified as illegal migrants. The suspects and seized materials have been handed over to ECD investigators for further legal action.

  • Dutch Authorities Seize Record Illegal Flavored Vapes

    Dutch Authorities Seize Record Illegal Flavored Vapes

    Dutch product safety authority NVWA and customs officials confiscated 80,000 illegal vapes in a record seizure at a storage facility near Schiphol Airport, marking the country’s largest bust of its kind to date.

    The Chinese-made vapes, flavored with now-banned ingredients like watermelon and kiwi, violate the Netherlands’ 2024 ban on flavored vaping products. The total estimated market value is in the hundreds of thousands of euros, and officials believe the products were intended for domestic distribution.

    This marks the second major seizure from the same importer. In May, authorities intercepted 70,000 vape refills containing similar illegal flavorings. While no fines can be issued because the products were confiscated before reaching consumers, the importer must cover the cost of destroying the vapes, the NVWA confirmed.

    The bust comes amid a broader crackdown led by junior health minister Vincent Karremans, who in May launched an anti-vaping campaign targeting youth vaping, sales of illegal products, and health risks.

  • 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.

  • Thailand Tobacco Raids Uncover Major Smuggling Network

    Thailand Tobacco Raids Uncover Major Smuggling Network

    Thailand’s Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA) conducted four simultaneous raids in central Phuket, cracking down on an illegal cigarette smuggling network. Three people were arrested for violating the Customs Act, and cigarettes worth an estimated 4 million baht ($120,000) of lost tax revenue were seized. The network reportedly included several influential figures, including a politician who is a candidate for the local council, though the report did not disclose the politician’s name.

    Investigations revealed the cigarettes were smuggled into Phuket by sea, primarily using tour boats, and then distributed locally by a network. Some of the contraband was also distributed through a private logistics company and was also being sold online.

    Ronnarong Thipsiri, deputy director-general of DOPA said the raids were prompted by tips from residents about the illegal sale and transportation of untaxed cigarettes.