Smuggling

Tobacco smuggling undermines one of the most important health policies - that of raising tobacco tax to create a financial incentive not to smoke. Tobacco smuggling costs lives through increased smoking. It has been estimated that about one-third of all internationally traded cigarettes are smuggled (350 billion cigarettes per year), causing billions of pounds of lost government revenue (over £2 billion in the UK alone).

Tobacco smuggling is an international problem requiring a global response. A protocol has been agreed as part of the internationally agreed treaty - the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

Under Article 15 of the FCTC, governments will be required to:

• monitor and collect data on cross border trade in tobacco products including illicit trade
• enact or strengthen legislation against illicit trade in tobacco
• destroy counterfeit and contraband tobacco
• adopt and implement measures to monitor and control the distribution of tobacco products
• adopt measures to enable the confiscation of proceeds derived from smuggling

There is considerable evidence that tobacco companies have orchestrated tobacco smuggling for their own commercial interests. As a result of investigations and internal document disclosures, major multinational tobacco companies have been subjected to inquiries and legal action for racketeering. In response to these legal actions, the companies have been required to sign binding agreements with governments to curb the problem.

Do you have information about tobacco smuggling? Ring 0800 59 5000 (UK) and consult Customs Confidential in complete confidence.

• Smuggling and the UK

  This section outlines what is being done in the UK to tackle the problem.

• International tobacco smuggling

  This section outlines the current and historical work done on international smuggling and the legal actions taken against the tobacco companies...