Cctv newsThe police in Shaoxing, Zhejiang recently cracked a case of selling heated non-combustible cigarettes on the Internet, and arrested 19 suspects, involving more than 60 million yuan.
On November 28, 2017, Shaoxing Tobacco Monopoly Bureau received a complaint from consumers that IQOS cigarettes from Marlboro were purchased in an online shop, and they were suspected to be fake cigarettes because of their unpleasant taste. After a preliminary investigation by the Tobacco Monopoly Bureau, it was found that the cigarette was genuine, but the seller’s sales behavior was suspected of committing a crime. The Tobacco Monopoly Bureau immediately called the police. After investigation, the public security organs found that Yang and Chen Mou in Yiwu both worked in a foreign trade company. During this period, the two found a way to get rich: selling IQOS e-cigarettes. Yang and Chen Mou realized that there was huge profit space in this market. They registered online stores to sell IQOS e-cigarettes and promoted them through WeChat friends circle and websites.
IQOS e-cigarette is a new type of cigarette named heating non-combustible cigarette. The length of each cigarette is only one-third of that of traditional cigarettes, commonly known as "smoke bomb". It can be used without lighting, just by inserting it into a pen-like device and heating it, and its taste is closer to that of traditional cigarettes. IQOS e-cigarettes include smoking utensils and "smoke bombs". IQOS smoking set is an electronic product that needs to be recharged, which is used for baking and heating "smoke bombs". Then, what is the difference between IQOS e-cigarette and ordinary cigarette, and does it have the health effect mentioned in the propaganda?
Zhao Junjun, Team Leader of Inspection Team 1 of Shaoxing Tobacco Monopoly BureauOrdinary cigarettes are lit with an open flame. This cigarette is the smoke produced by heating with a heating rod for consumers to smoke. This is the main difference. The composition inside is the same, all tobacco leaves and all tobacco products. They advertised in the marketing that this cigarette is less toxic and has lower nicotine and tar content. In fact, there is no conclusion.
The reporter learned that an e-cigarette needs 220 yuan to buy from Japan. Through purchasing at different levels, a cigarette can be sold in 100 yuan at a price increase of 50%. When there is a shortage of goods on holidays, the profit can be doubled and increased by 100 yuan to 200 yuan.
The business network is spread all over the country, which leads to a huge interest chain
How is this interest chain of illegally selling foreign cigarettes formed, and what is the sales model?
After verification, the police found that the online shop sold a large amount of money. Yang and Chen Mou purchased the goods through tour guides and overseas students. With further in-depth investigation, they found that the suspects were all over the country, including Zhejiang and Tianjin, and other 20 Yu Sheng cities.
During the sales period, the vigilance of these suspects is very high. Everyone in the interest chain will delete the chat record and transfer record at the end of each transaction, and will also remind the other party to delete the record. Some suspects also began to change the identity information of store certification, bank cards and account information paid by third parties.
After more than three months of investigation, on March 13 this year, the police decided to close the net. More than 50 police officers and inspectors of the task force went to Shanghai, Tianjin, Guangdong and other six provinces and seven places to carry out centralized arrest and net collection operations. A total of 19 suspects were arrested twice. After arresting 19 suspects, the police immediately seized more than 2,000 iKOS e-cigarette bombs with a total value of more than one million and more than 700 iKOS e-cigarette devices.
The reporter learned that this lucrative industry is actually not legal. In China, any unit or individual must apply for a tobacco monopoly license issued by China’s Tobacco Monopoly Bureau in order to operate and sell tobacco. Selling foreign cigarettes without permission will be suspected of smuggling and illegal business.
At present, 19 people involved in the case have been criminally compulsory by the public security organs for suspected illegal business operations. The case is under further investigation.