
Ratification of WHO protocol a must to stop illicit tobacco trade
Every tenth cigarette consumed globally is part of the illicit tobacco trade. While the smuggling of contraband tobacco products across national borders has always been profitable, the illegal tobacco trade is now the trademark for organised crime networks, which may also be involved in drugs, human and arms trafficking, as well as terrorism. Cigarettes are becoming a preferred item to smuggle because it’s easy and unlike smuggling narcotics, punishment for smuggling tobacco is less severe. The tobacco industry claims that high taxes drive smuggling. It also lobbies governments to keep tobacco taxes low. However, experience from many countries shows that there is no direct correlation between high taxes and smuggling.
Related Posts
Illegal circulation of tax-free cigarettes surges in S. Korea
The illegal circulation of tax-free cigarettes on the domestic market has surged...
Hoodlums beat NAFDAC officials, policemen chasing fake products
Officials of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control...
Coast guard arrests two tankers on suspicion of fuel smuggling
The Libyan coastguard has arrested two tankers suspected of smuggling petroleum...
Polish lorry driver jailed after being caught trying to smuggle ONE MILLION cigarettes into Britain
A lorry driver has been jailed after being caught trying to smuggle more than a...