China and Australia collaborate to bust major transnational tobacco smuggling ring

Chinese and Australian law enforcement authorities have jointly cracked a transnational tobacco smuggling case, seizing more than 90 million illicit cigarettes, according to a statement from China's Ministry of Public Security on Thursday.

The operation was conducted by China's customs anti-smuggling authorities and the Australian Border Force as part of a joint effort to combat cross-border tobacco smuggling.

The case originated from a special crackdown launched earlier this year by the Zhanjiang Customs anti-smuggling bureau in Guangdong province, under the coordination of the anti-smuggling bureau of the General Administration of Customs.

During the operation, Chinese customs dismantled nine illegal cigarette smuggling groups and shut down nine storage sites, seizing more than 32 million smuggled cigarettes and over 1,100 boxes of e-cigarettes.

Further investigation revealed a network allegedly concealing counterfeit tobacco products manufactured overseas among legitimate cargo, transporting them through China, and smuggling them into Australia. To dismantle the entire criminal chain, the anti-smuggling bureau of the General Administration of Customs shared information with Australian authorities through bilateral customs law enforcement cooperation channels.

Subsequently, coordinated enforcement operations were launched, leading to the seizure of 60 million smuggled cigarettes and 60 kilograms of tobacco leaves by Australian authorities. This brought the total number of seized cigarettes to more than 90 million between the two countries.

The Australian Border Force praised the joint operation, highlighting the importance of international law enforcement cooperation and information sharing among customs authorities, and expressed gratitude to the Chinese side for its support. An official from the anti-smuggling bureau of the General Administration of Customs stated that the operation disrupted tobacco smuggling routes entering and transiting China, delivering a significant blow to transnational tobacco smuggling activities.