Police officers count fake cigarettes confiscated in an anti-counterfeit operation in Pinghu, East China’s Zhejiang Province in July, 2016. Photo: IC

 
Police in northwest China's Shaanxi Province busted a case involving the sales of counterfeit cigarettes online involving more than 1 billion yuan (142 million U.S. dollars).

A total of 12 gangs were involved in the crackdown, with 58 suspects and 9.8 million fake cigarettes seized. Police also confiscated 16 vehicles and over 150 mobile phones, according to the public security bureau of Wugong County.

Police in the county received a tip-off last August that there were suspects selling large amounts of cigarettes at low prices on China's social media platform WeChat and delivering the inferior products through express delivery and logistics channels.

After a thorough investigation, the police have launched four operations since last September, arresting a total of 58 suspects in provinces including Hebei, Henan and Guangdong.