TobaccoReporter logo

Tag: smuggling

  • Greek Authorities Dismantle €1 Billion Illicit Cigarette Network

    Greek Authorities Dismantle €1 Billion Illicit Cigarette Network

    Greek authorities dismantled a large-scale illegal cigarette production and smuggling network accused of causing €1 billion in losses over eight years. The operation, led by the Hellenic Authority for Combating Money Laundering following a four-month investigation, resulted in the freezing of extensive assets, including 42 properties, a factory used for processing illicit cigarettes, 76 vessels, and dozens of vehicles.

    The case involves 38 individuals and 21 companies, with authorities identifying two alleged ringleaders and several accomplices connected to a broader family network. Investigators said the group used shell companies, fake invoices and false certifications to launder proceeds and conceal the scale of its operations.

  • Belgium Nearing 1 Billion Illicit Cigarettes Seized

    Belgium Nearing 1 Billion Illicit Cigarettes Seized

    Belgian authorities have seized 946 million counterfeit cigarettes between January 2020 and November 2025, resulting in an estimated €394 million in lost tax revenues, according to government data. In 2025 alone, customs confiscated nearly 150 million illegal cigarettes and uncovered multiple clandestine production and storage sites across the country, highlighting the scale of the illicit trade.

    Officials say the operations are driven by sophisticated, decentralized criminal networks that spread production and distribution across multiple locations to evade detection. Lawmakers are calling for stronger international cooperation, with Belgium already working alongside Europol and other agencies to disrupt cross-border supply chains.

  • 13 State AGs Urge Credit Cards to Block Illicit Vape Sales

    13 State AGs Urge Credit Cards to Block Illicit Vape Sales

    A coalition of 13 U.S. attorneys general has called on major credit card companies to stop facilitating sales of illegal vaping products through their payment networks. The group warned that unauthorized e-cigarettes, largely manufactured in China, now account for more than 80% of the U.S. vape market, generating over $11 billion in annual sales despite violating federal and state laws.

    The officials are asking Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover to identify and remove merchants selling illicit products and to increase transparency on enforcement actions. The move draws on past cooperation between regulators and payment processors to curb illegal online cigarette sales, as states look to disrupt distribution channels for unauthorized vaping products.

  • ‘Made in America’ Claims Rise as Brands Navigate Crackdown

    ‘Made in America’ Claims Rise as Brands Navigate Crackdown

    A Reuters investigation reports a growing wave of vape brands promoting “Made in America” credentials as the U.S. market faces tougher enforcement against unlicensed products, particularly those linked to Chinese manufacturers. The article says at least eight new brands have emerged since October, emphasizing U.S. identity, despite lacking authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which has approved only a limited number of vaping products for sale.

    According to the report, trademark filings show some of these brands are tied to Chinese or Hong Kong interests, suggesting the marketing shift may be aimed at avoiding scrutiny from customs officials amid heightened trade tensions and regulatory pressure under the administration of Donald Trump. Analysts cited by Reuters say the tactic could slow efforts to push consumers from the illicit to the regulated vape market.

    The story also highlights that China remains the dominant supplier of vapes to the U.S., with trade data showing exports worth over $4 billion in 2025, even as companies experiment with partial U.S. production or American-themed branding to adapt to tariffs, enforcement actions, and changing consumer perceptions.

  • Polish Officers Seize 223,000 Illegal Vapes

    Polish Officers Seize 223,000 Illegal Vapes

    Officers from the National Tax Administration in Łódź seized 223,688 disposable e-cigarettes without excise stamps during a raid on a property near Zgierz. The devices contained a combined 447 liters of e-liquid, with the market value of the goods estimated at over PLN 473,000 ($128,000).

    Authorities said the scale of the illegal stock exposed the state to potential excise losses exceeding PLN 10.2 million ($2.8 million), given Poland’s current excise rate. The goods were allegedly stored by a 49-year-old man, who has been charged with a serious fiscal crime and potentially faces 10 years in prison.

  • Man Arrested Smuggling Heat Sticks into Singapore

    Man Arrested Smuggling Heat Sticks into Singapore

    A 27-year-old South Korean man was arrested at Changi Airport in Singapore after authorities intercepted an attempt to smuggle more than 2,000 heat sticks and over 130 vapes into the country. The man told officers from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority that he had nothing to declare, but baggage scans revealed anomalies that prompted a detailed search. Officers subsequently uncovered the prohibited products and arrested the man.

  • Sri Lanka’s Beedi Industry Under Attack

    Sri Lanka’s Beedi Industry Under Attack

    Sri Lanka’s Parliamentary Committee on Ways and Means called for stronger action to curb the illegal import of beedi leaves, warning that smuggling is eroding government tax revenue and undermining the legal beedi industry. During a recent meeting chaired by MP Wijesiri Basnayake, officials said large quantities of leaves are being brought in by sea to avoid import duties, despite existing enforcement efforts. The committee urged measures to stop industry participants from using illicit supplies and directed Finance Ministry officials to develop a mechanism to safeguard tax collection.

    Officials from the government, police, and navy discussed enforcement options. Lawmakers stressed the need to balance revenue protection with safeguarding employment in the beedi sector while tightening controls on illicit imports.

  • Canadian Customs Seizes $3.2M Illicit Vapes at U.S. Border

    Canadian Customs Seizes $3.2M Illicit Vapes at U.S. Border

    The Canada Border Services Agency said officers at the Point Edward port of entry in Sarnia, Ontario, seized over CAD 4.5 million ($3.2 million) in illegal tobacco and nicotine vapes over a seven-day period. The contraband was reportedly coming across from Port Huron, Michigan, in the United States. The CBSA emphasized that the seizures are part of ongoing measures to prevent illicit products from entering Canada and combat criminal networks, though no additional details were provided.

  • Philippines Bust Seizes $23M in Illicit Vape Products

    Philippines Bust Seizes $23M in Illicit Vape Products

    The Philippines Department of Trade and Industry and the Bureau of Customs seized P1.4 billion ($23.3 million) worth of illegal vaporized nicotine products in a warehouse raid in San Rafael Village, Navotas City, confiscating over 3.2 million vape devices and pods along with branded promotional items. The shipments lacked Philippine Standard Licenses and Import Commodity Clearance, violating Republic Act 11900 and related Customs regulations, and are now subject to forfeiture and condemnation proceedings to prevent reentry into the market. Authorities warned that violators may face substantial fines, imprisonment, revocation of licenses, and recall of noncompliant products.

  • Luxembourg One of the Gateways China Uses to Flood EU With E-Cigs

    Luxembourg One of the Gateways China Uses to Flood EU With E-Cigs

    A new study by the Fraunhofer Institute calls Luxembourg one of four “gateway countries” that China uses to saturate the grey and black markets of Europe with e-cigarettes, along with Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Uwe Veres-Homm, head of risk and location analysis at Fraunhofer IIS, said more than 90% of e-cigarettes in the EU originate from China’s “global epicenter,” Shenzhen, where regulations for exported products are much more lenient than those staying in China. Regulatory import loopholes allow products that are legal, illegal, and/or improperly taxed and labeled to flood together, and once processed by customs in Luxembourg, they are considered EU goods and can enter the market elsewhere, he said.

    The study found that half of the e-cigarettes consumed in Luxembourg come from “irregular sources,” and said Luxembourg is attractive not only because of its strategic location, but also because it has low e-liquid taxes (€0.10/ml).

    The study concluded that banning e-cigarettes would not eliminate the grey and black markets and suggested harmonized EU standards and involving Chinese manufacturers to comply with EU laws as the products are being made.