Police nab 32 suspects in e-cigarette bust

The police in Yangzhou, Jiangsu province, have detained 32 suspects in more than 50 cities in a crackdown on the illegal importation and sale of IQOS smokeless cigarettes, a label of tobacco giant Phillip Morris.

The group, which imported the e-cigarettes from abroad, allegedly sold them in 18 of China's 34 provinces, municipalities and regions. The sales reached 280 million yuan ($41 million), Yangzhou police said last week.

IQOS is a system that heats but does not burn tobacco. Unlike traditional e-cigarettes that typically heat a nicotine-laced liquid, IQOS uses real tobacco to create an experience similar to that of smoking cigarettes.