Chinese authorities destroyed more than 55,000 e-cigarettes and 188 million smuggled cigarettes on Oct. 12 in a coordinated operation across several provinces, part of a nationwide crackdown on illicit tobacco trade.
The destruction comes amid a broader enforcement campaign that has resulted in more than 4,500 tobacco-smuggling cases involving goods valued at approximately 2.37 billion yuan ($355 million) since the beginning of 2026.
According to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency, the operation took place simultaneously in Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province; Fangchenggang, Guangxi; Kunming, Yunnan; and Urumqi, Xinjiang. Authorities also destroyed 2.7 metric tons of cut tobacco.
Authorities disposed of the confiscated products using methods that included biomass power generation, converting some of the waste into energy. The destruction events were accompanied by public information campaigns intended to discourage tobacco smuggling and promote compliance with Chinese law.
The operation is part of a campaign known as Qingyuan Duanlian, roughly translated as "Clean Sources, Break Chains." It involves 13 government departments, including the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration, the Ministry of Public Security, and the General Administration of Customs.
Since the campaign began, authorities have confiscated approximately 1.27 billion smuggled cigarettes, 150,000 cigars, and 39.8 metric tons of tobacco leaves and cut tobacco. The figures, published by People's Daily, represent seizures made throughout the year, not products destroyed during the Oct. 12 operation.
Chinese officials say the campaign focuses particularly on tobacco products illegally manufactured outside China and smuggled into the country. Investigations cover the entire distribution chain, from purchasing and transportation to storage and retail sales.
Authorities have also intensified enforcement efforts at ports and border crossings to disrupt the flow of smuggled tobacco products into China. The campaign includes cooperation between customs officials, police, and other enforcement agencies, along with efforts to coordinate investigations across international borders.
Although e-cigarettes were among the products destroyed, the government has not provided a separate monetary value for the confiscated vaping devices. Nor has it specified how many of the devices were disposable vapes or other types of e-cigarettes.
The campaign illustrates the scale of China's tobacco-smuggling enforcement effort, with authorities targeting not just individual shipments but the networks responsible for bringing illicit products into the country.
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