Authorities in Indonesia arrested a Singaporean national in Medan, Indonesia, for allegedly operating an illicit vape production and distribution network that generated an estimated 10 billion rupiah ($565,000) in profits since 2025. Police said the suspect coordinated production of vape products packaged with Labubu branding from Thailand, supplied raw materials from China, and used cryptocurrency transactions to conceal financial flows. A raid on the operation’s production site in Medan resulted in the seizure of 862 vape cartridge tubes, dozens of vape liquid bottles, and more than 10,500 branded vape packages. One Indonesian accomplice was arrested, while a third suspect remains at large.
Tag: vape factory
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China Regulator Orders Vape Makers to Halt New Plants
China’s State Tobacco Monopoly Administration ordered e-cigarette manufacturers to halt new factory construction and suspend investment projects as part of efforts to curb price competition and address industry overcapacity, Reuters reported. In a notice issued today (Feb. 13), the regulator said capacity utilization across the sector is already high and warned companies against bypassing the directive by building facilities labeled for other products that are ultimately used to produce e-cigarettes.
The regulator said manufacturers may only expand production if they can demonstrate genuine necessity or prove output is focused on export markets. The notice also bans producers from transferring supply quotas to unlicensed firms or disguising e-cigarette expansion through investment in other product lines, though it allows companies to restructure capacity through mergers. Authorities added that production lines and approved output for e-cigarettes must be clearly separated from those used for heated tobacco products and smoking accessories.