Police hold suspects over fake cigarettes

Police detained five suspects for allegedly trafficking fake cigarettes and seized more than 5,600 “brand-name” cigarettes in Sanya, Hainan province.

The gang had been selling fake cigarettes at more than 30 specialty food shops since 2010, police said on Tuesday. The cigarettes were valued at 10 million yuan ($1.63 million).

The police searched five locations and seven warehouses in Haikou and Sanya.

The “brand names” used for the fake cigarettes included Zhonghua, Furongwang, Huanghelou and Yunyan.