Nearly three out of every 10 cigarettes smoked in city illicit

“But don't tell anyone... ;)”

“@janine2011 - Maybe those reports have led to some sort of ongoing surveillance...?!?”

“Booze unit tax coming next - wonder what'll happen to the black market trade in that???

Don't blame it on moonshiiiiiiinee,
Blame it on an MP.”

“Neither trading standards nor customs and excise are interested when informed of premises selling not only illicit but counterfeit tobacco products. I know of two within two minutes of my neighbourhood and both have been reported more than once, both on the phone and email. Neither have been visited. Waste of time reporting them again when you know nobody is going to do a damn thing about it. Wouldn't be so bad but both sell to children because they are only interested in making money. I have seen some come out with alcohol and as far as I know they have no licence to sell it, nor is it on display.”

“Rightwing: "The politicians could stop 90% of this in seconds - by making taxes & duty the same across Europe."

Would you apply that across all other taxation? - would you be happy to pay more tax to support bailouts of Greece, Spain, Portugal. Italy, etc and to subsidise huge grants to Bulgaria, Romania (and Turkey when it arrives?) - and who would you trust to set the tax rates at a fair level? - the French?; the Germans?; the EU Parliament?; the EU Bureaucrats?”

“High levels of tax always encoiurage criminals.
The same situation exists in Canada where duty is far higher than in the USA - result, a massive cross-border trade in smuggled tobacco.

The politicians could stop 90% of this in seconds - by making taxes & duty the same across europe.

Funny how we are "equal" in some things but not others isnt it.”

“If you have an international distribution network for illicit tobacco, it is ridiculous to suppose that it will not be used also for drugs and people trafficking. It is organised crime on a massive scale. So why is the problem being ignored by every enforcement agency in the country. Trading Standards will occasionally go an relieve a couple of shops of a few hundred cigarettes, prosecuting nobody. The police will very occasionally show an interest, but still not prosecuting anyone of consequence. HMRC will indulge in a bit of snatch and run. Nobody of consequence is ever prosecuted.

We have had our Crime Commissioner standing in the middle of the worst area for the problem shaking hands with a local councillor. Neither appeared to give a damn about the problem, although the councillor will give a quote at the drop of a hat. But quotes don't stop crime, and the problem continues. But it's not about illicit tobacco, it's about international criminals building their empire untroubled by any signs of authority intervening.”

“Maybe if there wasn't such an exorbitant amount of duty on tobacco smokers wouldn't go elsewhere for them? And tobacco purchased outside the UK isn't necessarily illicit.”

“It also means that 7 out of 10 Cigarettes are not illicit.”