COVID-19 TOBACCO SMUGGLING AND COUNTERFEITING IS BOON FOR ORGANISED CRIME
March 1st, 2021
There is no doubt that the Covid-19 pandemic has fuelled the black-market trade in illicit and smuggled licit tobacco products. The disease has depressed income and forced lower income smokers to look for cheap smokes, which has included counterfeits or smuggled goods.
As a 2020 report from Japan Tobacco International (JTI) said: “The trade in illegal tobacco is underpinned by criminals who want to make money and consumers who are looking to save money. The current pandemic crisis creates conditions that are set to form a ‘perfect storm’ that will ...
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