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Smuggler Sentenced for $4M Cigarette Tax Fraud

11/23/2025

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Story summary
  • Weijie Ru was sentenced to two years and nine months after being found guilty on two counts of knowingly importing prohibited goods and defrauding Customs Revenue.
  • The court found Ru imported black-market cigarettes into New Zealand, evading over $4 million in Customs taxes.
  • The defense claimed Ru was misled by a customer named Tim, but the judge deemed testimony untrustworthy.
  • Jiehong Ru, Ru’s brother, faces charges related to drug trafficking.