The Department of the Financial Monitoring Agency (FMA) in the Pavlodar region has identified a group of people who were engaged in the illegal trade of electronic vapes, flavourings, and e-liquids in the territory of Ekibastuz.
According to the agency's press service, the banned products were sold via the Telegram channel «VAPE SHOP MAXI MALL» with courier delivery. The products were actively distributed among minors, including schoolchildren.
During operational and investigative measures, law enforcement officers discovered a warehouse and points of sale, seizing more than 5,600 vape units and their components. The potential revenue amounted to over 100 million tenge. An investigation is ongoing.
Overall, since the beginning of the year, FMA officers have identified 32 cases of illegal vape trade, seizing and destroying over 440,000 units of such products.
For context, the Pavlodar region FMA Department previously eliminated a criminal group involved in the illegal trade of similar products. At that time, officers discovered warehouses and seized more than 155,000 vape units worth over 1.6 billion tenge.