Over a quarter of South West cigarettes could be illegal

More than a quarter of cigarettes sold in the South West are either illegal or purchased outside of the UK, a survey has revealed. Researchers have warned the profits made could be ending up in the pockets of organised crime and terrorist groups. The discarded pack collection survey by MSIntelligence found that approximately 27% of the region’s cigarettes are either counterfeits, smuggled or obtained through other methods from outside of the country.