Millions of cigarettes confiscated

A total number of 13 Million illegal cigarette sticks have been confiscated from January to March 2014, data released today said. Customs alone have been responsible for confiscating 98% of it. Meanwhile in an effort to create awareness among its employees on the impact of illegal smuggling and trading of cigarettes (illicit trade), Ceylon Tobacco Company (CTC) recently conducted an ‘Anti-Illicit Trade (AIT) in Tobacco Week’ at its head office in Colombo. The company also launched a dedicated hotline 077 2 440794 for employees to report the sale and distribution of illicit tobacco products in Sri Lanka. It is estimated that globally Governments lose US$ 40 billion in revenue from unpaid taxes due to the illegal cigarette trade. It is noteworthy to mention that this amount is sufficient to provide 75kg of rice to every person in Africa.