It is illegal for individual traders to buy cigarettes privately. Cigarette operator holding that cigarette monopoly retail license can only buy cigarette from the local tobacco monopoly department, not from other enterprises or individuals, otherwise they will buy cigarettes indiscriminately, which is illegal.
Legal basis:
Constitution of People's Republic of China (PRC)
Article 225 Whoever commits one of the following illegal business operations and disrupts the market order, if the circumstances are serious, shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than five years or criminal detention, and shall also, or shall only, be fined not less than one time but not more than five times the illegal income. If the circumstances are especially serious, he shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than five years, and shall also be fined not less than one time but not more than five times the illegal income or confiscated property:
(a) without permission, dealing in franchised or monopolized commodities or other commodities whose operation is restricted by laws and administrative regulations.
(2) buying and selling import and export licenses, import and export certificates of origin and other business licenses or approval documents stipulated by laws and administrative regulations.
(three) without the approval of the relevant competent departments of the state, illegally engaged in securities, futures, insurance business, or illegally engaged in fund payment and settlement business.
(four) other illegal business activities that seriously disrupt the market order.