In 2000 British American Tobacco (BAT) was forced to release millions of pages of internal documents as a result of litigation in the United States. As well as revealing BAT's real stance on health, passive smoking, addiction and so on, these documents show BAT was engaged in a massive smuggling operation - ensuring that its products were sold cheaply on the black market by evading tobacco taxes.
The pages contain around 200 internal BAT documents, illustrating the extent of the BAT involvement in cigarette smuggling in Asia, Africa and Latin America. They include evidence presented to the House of Commons, correspondence with BAT and the Government, background material and scanned images of original documents. As a result of these disclosures, BAT faced a media storm. Its senior management was questioned by a House of Commons Committee and the company underwent an investigation by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) over its involvement in smuggling. The investigation "did not find material indicating a basis for launching a criminal investigation". However, this does not amount to a vindication for BAT.
BAT Correspondence with ASH over smuggling
On 30 October 2000, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) launched an investigation into British American Tobacco (BAT) and its role in smuggling. This document contains correspondence between BAT, ASH and the House of Commons Health Select Committee evidence from BAT and others.
Author: ASH Published By: ASH Published : 29/10/2000
British American Tobacco and Africa: Smuggling investigation
Quotes from tobacco industry documents suggesting British American Tobacco (BAT) has been involved in smuggled tobacco products across Africa. Contains copies of BAT documents.
Author: ASH Published By: ASH Published : 26/07/2000
British American Tobacco Duty Not Paid Internal British American Tobacco documents outlining Duty Not Paid.
Author: British American Tobacco Published By: Complied by ASH Published : 02/07/2000
British America Tobacco Transit documentsInternal BAT documents discussing 'transit'
Author: British American Tobacco Published By: Complied by ASH Published : 02/07/2000
British American Tobacco General TradeInternal BAT documents discussing General Trade.
Author: British American Tobacco Published By: Complied by ASH Published : 02/07/2000
British American Tobacco personnel exercising control over smuggling Internal BAT documents which taken together suggest that BAT exercise control over smuggling.
Author: British American Tobacco Published By: Complied by ASH Published : 02/07/2000
ASH Letter to Kenneth Clarke Letter to British American Tobacco Deputy Chairman and UK politician Kenneth Clarke.
Author: Clive Bates Published By: ASH Published : 02/07/2000
British America Tobacco documents suggestive of illegality Internal British American Tobacco documents showing BAT's recognition of the illegal basis of the business.
Author: British American Tobacco Published By: Complied by ASH Published : 02/07/2000
Hong Kong Judgement Comments of the Hong Kong judge convicting Jerry Lui, British American Tobacco Regional Export Director, in 1998 for offences relating to smuggling.
Author: Justice Wally Yeung Chun-kuen Published By: ASH Published : 29/06/2000
Smuggling: BAT Views
Follow-up submission made by British American Tobacco on the topic of the company's alleged involvement in tobacco smuggling.
Author: British American Tobacco Published By: British American Tobacco Published : 29/02/2000
ASH Submission to Health Select Committee: Tobacco Industry Smuggling Submission to the House of Commons Health Select Committee on Tobacco Industry Smuggling. ASH undertook research in parallel with others, on the documents in British American Tobacco's litigation archive in Guildford England.
Author: Clive Bates Published By: ASH Published : 15/02/2000
Smuggling: Our View British American Tobacco's position paper on smuggling
Author: British American Tobacco Published By: British American Tobacco Published : 09/01/2000
Journalist Duncan Campbell's evidence
Evidence to the Health Select Committee by investigative journalist Duncan Campbell 16 Feb 2000.
Guardian expose of British American Tobacco
Special report on British American Tobacco and smuggling including news reports, sources, editorial and links. By the Guardian newspaper. 2000
Criminal Justice (Terrorism and Conspiracy) Act 1998
This Act would have been applicable to the British American Tobacco investigation by Department of Trade and Industry (now Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform) but it came into force too late.
