Tobacco is a commodity purchased and sold by the state, and there is no wholesale market. Selling dry cigarettes constitutes a criminal offence. According to the Criminal Law of People's Republic of China (PRC), whoever, in violation of state regulations, engages in the following illegal business activities 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 his illegal income or his property shall be confiscated.