German customs investigators have executed 13 arrest warrants in a case involving the alleged smuggling of more than 7.6 million disposable vapes from China into Germany. Authorities estimate the imports cost Germany €33.3 million in unpaid excise taxes between January 2024 and March 2025.
The Essen Customs Investigation Office and Düsseldorf prosecutors announced the case Friday, Sept. 18. Investigators seized roughly 600,000 vapes on more than 100 pallets, representing an estimated €4 million in unpaid taxes. The 7.6 million figure describes suspected imports over 15 months, not the number of devices recovered in the searches.
The investigation covers 23 suspects, including four employees of an unnamed Chinese e-cigarette manufacturer and 19 people based in Germany. Authorities allege the manufacturer’s employees organized sales through agents and wholesalers, with profits routed through shell companies to China or foreign accounts. The German recipients allegedly stored the untaxed, nicotine-containing products and sold them on the black market.
Investigators identified distribution networks around Cologne, the Ruhr region, Koblenz, Wesel, Frankfurt, and Stuttgart. They estimate the German recipients obtained untaxed e-cigarettes worth about €11 million. Customs offices and police forces from several regions supported the operation, which was also accompanied by representatives of the European Anti-Fraud Office.
Authorities also restrained or seized assets, including four properties, a high-value vehicle, luxury watches, gold jewelry, gold bars, and cash. They put the combined value of those assets at more than €2.25 million. Another 37 bank accounts were frozen, with balances still undetermined when the announcement was issued.
The alleged imports occurred while Germany was increasing its tax on e-liquid. Under the Tobacco Tax Act, the rate was €0.20 per milliliter in 2024 and €0.26 in 2025. It rose again to €0.32 on Jan. 1, 2026, making the current excise charge €3.20 on a 10-milliliter bottle.
That volume-based tax adds a cost to legal products that untaxed sellers avoid. But the current rate should not be used to recalculate the alleged losses from 2024–2025. The statement does not disclose the liquid volumes behind the €33.3 million estimate, and their announcement does not establish that tax increases caused the alleged smuggling.
The joint customs and prosecutor statement describes suspected large-scale organized tax evasion and organized commercial dealing in goods on which taxes had been evaded. Authorities cited potential prison terms of six months to 10 years and withheld further details under tax-confidentiality rules. Essen customs continues investigating for Düsseldorf’s organized-crime prosecution unit. All 23 suspects are presumed innocent unless convicted.
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