A collection of press coverage around tobacco smuggling issues from 1997 to 2004. Complied by ASH. Links to original article are provided where possible.

An update to the 2000 strategy and renewed commitment to reduce tobacco smuggling in the UK.

Memorandum of Understanding between Gallaher and HM Revenue and Customs

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Imperial Tobacco and HM Revenue and Customs.

Memorandum of Understanding between British American Tobacco and HM Revenue and Customs.

British American Tobacco commit to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with HM Customs and Excise. The MOU seeks the co-operation of tobacco companies in reducing the trade in contraband tobacco.

After months of negotiations between the Imperial and HM Customs and Excise, which led to the company being called before the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee, Imperial tobacco is the last of the three major cigarette manufacturers to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the HM Customs to curtail smuggling.

HM Customs Press release. HM Customs and Gallaher sign a Memorandum of Understanding. Gallaher agrees to supply its products only where there is a market for them; identify smuggling routes; stop supplying traders that supply smuggling; refuse to supply traders where the end-destination is in doubt.

FAQs on tax, smuggling and the link between them. This document also debunks some tobacco industry myths.

House of Commons Public Accounts Committee third report 2002-03 - Tobacco Smuggling

HM Customs and Excise reports on its success in holding tobacco smuggling at 21% of UK cigarette market, and making a dramatic cut in cross-Channel bootlegging. In his pre-budget speech, the chancellor underlined his determination to recover up to £2bn of the estimates £3.5bn currently being lost to tobacco smuggling.

Pre-Budget Report: on measure to tackle indirect tax losses. Includes information on the Tackling Tobacco Smuggling strategy.

The Big Issue: investigation into smuggling and Imperial Tobacco during 2002

Letter to Edward Leigh MP, House of Commons Public Accounts Committee on the hearing with Imperial Tobacco evidence on 19 June 2002.

Smuggling is predominantly due to Britain having high tax rates and therefore smugglers can maximise their profits by targeting UK markets. ASH gives likely imperial responses and counter arguments for the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee hearing.

ASH guide to the way Imperial Tobacco makes its money. This shows a growing body of evidence and informed comment indicating that Imperial, like British American Tobacco, actively manages its position in the black market. Further evidence and a follow-up letter was provided to the Public Accounts Committee to assist its oral hearing with Imperial on 19 June 2002

ASH letter to Members of the European Parliament to ask for assistance in tackling tobacco smuggling in the UK.

Reply by the European Commission to ASH's letter (August 2001) to Fitz Bolkestein. Regarding cross Channel bootlegging.

ASH Letter to Frits Bolkestein, European Commission regarding legal action over UK efforts to tackle cross-Channel bootlegging.

Legal advice on UK smuggling - are the tobacco companies breaking the law?

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.

Letter to lawyer from ASH regarding tobacco smuggling and tobacco companies.

Report: UK cigarette smuggling

Budget submission prepared for the first meeting of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control expert group on illicit trade, explains why tobacco companies are not appropriate participants in the development of the illicit trade protocol.

Government strategy to tackle this growing problem.

This is the investigation as reported by The Independent on Sunday: Why are billions of cigarettes exported by Gallaher and Imperial Tobacco to countries where the brands (like 'Regal') are not smoked? The real purpose can only be to supply criminal gangs with duty-not-paid cigarettes by the container-load so that these will be smuggled back to the UK.

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.

Comprehensive approach or capitulation to crime? This evidence to the new tobacco smuggling Tsar shows that trying to tackle smuggling by cutting taxes is unethical, ineffective, will cause revenue loss and more deaths. An alternative comprehensive approach concentrating on tackling smuggling as a law and order issue and holding the tobacco companies accountable is proposed instead

The compulsory marking of cigarette and tobacco packs to show that UK duty has been paid is one of the measures to crack down on the criminal practices of smuggling and pushing untaxed tobacco unveiled by Chancellor Gordon Brown. Pre-Budget report 9 November 1999.

The European Commission has threatened the UK with legal action if it continues its 'get tough' policy on bootleggers. (The Guardian, 25 Oct. 2001)

A critical examination of the problem of illicit trade which includes a number of recommendations to further reduce excise fraud.

"Mr Broadbent [head of HM Customs] told MPs that he was not satisfied with the cooperation he had received from [Imperial Tobacco] in signing a memorandum of understanding to stamp out smuggling." The Guardian (30 April 2002)

A £209 million clampdown on tobacco smugglers was announced by Dawn Primarolo. Government Press Release 22 March 2000.

The Government announces a 76% cut in bootlegging following from the Government results from the first year of its Tackling Tobacco Smuggling strategy. 27 November 2001

David Hencke for the Guardian writes an article on a query by MPs to Imperial Tobacco on illicit sales. 20 June 2002

Public Accounts Committee Publications, House of Commons, 2 December 2002. Report focuses on tobacco smuggling

Select Committee on Treasury Second Report item number IV: Alcohol and Tobacco Smuggling. HM Customs explains its strategy in overview. However, the emphasis is overwhelmingly on 'bootlegging' thus missing the fact that 80% of smuggling is 'transit fraud' - the smuggling of entire containers of cigarettes without paying tax anywhere. 15 Feb 2000

The House of Commons Treasury Select Committee report on HM Customs and Excise. This is the section dealing with UK tobacco smuggling. 8 Feb 2000

Transcript of evidence taken from Imperial Tobacco at the House of Commons Public Accounts Select Committee on 19 June 2002.

Report by the National Audit Office to assess Customs & Excise’s progress since the implementation of their first strategy on tobacco smuggling in March 2000.

Memorandum by ASH to the House of Commons Select Committee on Treasury: Tobacco excise fraud. 8 February 2000

Question by Mrs Lawrence: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his latest assessment is of tobacco and alcohol smuggling and its impact on Government revenues; and what action he is taking to tackle it. Dawn Primarolo answers the question.  (House of Commons Hansard, 7 March 2001)