Brazilian Police Cracked The Largest E-cigarette Smuggling Case, More Than 7,500 E-cigarettes Were Seized

Brazilian police cracked the largest e-cigarette smuggling case, more than 7,500 e-cigarettes were seized

The Brazilian Federal Police (PF) and the Brazilian National Health Regulatory Agency (Anvisa) have successfully cracked a large-scale e-cigarette smuggling case, seizing more than 7,500 e-cigarettes. The authorities have suspended the sales activities of related companies and blocked online platform accounts.

According to Jcconcursos on May 28, the Brazilian Federal Police (PF) and the Brazilian National Health Regulatory Agency (Anvisa) are working hard to crack down on a series of e-cigarette crimes, including smuggling, the use of forged documents, money laundering, tax evasion, and criminal organizations involving e-cigarette products.

The investigation began in February this year, after the Brazilian Federal Tax Bureau conducted three large-scale seizure operations in post offices and air transport companies. According to the announcement released by PF, more than 7,500 e-cigarettes were confiscated in these operations, and the destinations of these e-cigarettes were different buyers in Manaus, including individuals, companies and dealers.

During the investigation, a total of 11 suspects and 16 e-cigarette sales points were identified, mainly tobacco shops. In addition, there are many places that use forged documents, such as fake invoices, as a cover to deceive the authorities.

In order to speed up the seizure process, 110 federal police officers and 60 tax bureau staff executed 27 search and seizure orders at important locations in Manaus. The authorities also suspended the economic activities of related companies through judicial means and banned accounts that sold these products on social platforms.

Since 2009, Brazil has explicitly banned the sale of e-cigarettes. Recently, Anvisa reconfirmed this ban, including the manufacture, import, distribution, storage, transportation and promotion of related equipment. At the end of April, Brazil re-issued a new resolution, emphasizing that any form of import, including personal use, will be strictly prohibited.