Five indicted in tobacco smuggling ringBy Tsai Ching-hua / Staff reporterKaohsiung prosecutors on Tuesday last week indicted five suspects following a major bust of a criminal ring in August that allegedly smuggled contraband cigarettes and heated tobacco products via fishing vessels. The bust — one of Kaohsiung’s largest — uncovered an estimated NT$100 million (US$3.18 million) of illegal tobacco products hidden in the cargo of fishing boats, the Ciaotou District Prosecutors’ Office said. Contraband cigarettes and heated tobacco products are pictured on a fishing boat in Kaohsiung in August. The task force tracked the three fishing boats — Jin Ji Li No. The five were indicted for contravening the Tobacco and Alcohol Administration Act (菸酒管理法).

Source: Taipei Times December 25, 2025 17:22 UTC