An organiser of the largest underground workshop for producing, storing, and selling vapes has been detained in Astana.
According to the press service of the Agency for Financial Monitoring (AFM), the criminal group produced a nicotine-containing liquid consisting of glycerine, nicotine, and artificial flavourings.
Officers from the agency seized more than 5,000 vapes, 235 litres of chemical substances, flavourings, and machinery for their production.
“The production capacity of the underground workshop was between 7,000 and 10,000 electronic devices per month. All of the handmade products were distributed to vape shops across the republic,” the statement said.
By the court’s verdict, the individual was convicted, but the penalty was not disclosed. The entire batch of vapes, as well as the production equipment, were seized and destroyed.
It is noted that, nationwide, as part of the fight against the spread of electronic ‘vape’ devices, around 400,000 units seized during criminal investigations have been destroyed.
Recall that earlier in Ust-Kamenogorsk, AFM officers seized electronic cigarettes, vapes, and other disposable devices containing nicotine. The total value of the confiscated goods is estimated at approximately 8.5 million tenge.