Police bust fake-cigarette gang in Southwest China

KUNMING -- Police have busted a fake-cigarette gang in connection with cases worth more than 250 million yuan (about $36.6 million) in Southwest China's Yunnan province.

More than 40 suspects were involved in the cases. Police in the city of Dali have confiscated more than 60,000 cartons of fake and low-quality cigarettes and sealed 19 cigarette storage facilities.

In July 2019, police in Dali received reports about fake cigarettes for sale being transported to places such as Dali and the provincial capital Kunming. Authorities quickly launched an investigation. By June 18, 2020, the police had busted the gang across several provinces.

Investigators found that the suspects manufactured the fake cigarettes in Myanmar and smuggled the products to Yunnan to sell them across the country.