ISSUES WITH PLAIN PACKAGING - ILLICIT TRADE
Organised Crime
The trade in illicit cigarettes is linked with all levels of organized crime, who reinvest the substantial profits to support other criminal activities, as both
Canadian Law Enforcement Agencies and UK Law Enforcement Agencies
have warned.
Illicit trade of tobacco products: compiled video footage
Large consignments of illicit cigarettes are moved across borders by organised criminals operating on a global scale. A record seizure by British and Irish customs officers in October 2009 yielded over 120 million illicit cigarettes, hidden on a ship from the Far East, valued at £45 million.
“The sale of illicit tobacco fuels serious organised crime, and there is evidence that some criminals are finding the sale of such tobacco increasingly attractive. Smuggling and trading in illicit tobacco is potentially a highly profitable activity, and carries less severe penalties than trading in other contraband, such as illicit drugs.”
Source: A Smokefree Future, A Comprehensive Tobacco Control Strategy for England 2010
The RCMP's key concern is the increased involvement of organized crime implicated in illegal tobacco activities for monetary gain. The public needs to be aware that profits from illegal tobacco products are also funding other criminal activities, such as drug and gun trafficking. Furthermore, some of these organized crime groups are known to use violence to ensure profit."
Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police, 2008 Contraband Tobacco Enforcement Strategy