ASH, 102 Clifton Street, London EC2A 4HW Tel: 0207 739 5902
Fax: 0207 613 0531

ASH Daily News

Headlines

'BAT to face cigarette smuggling probe: ASH says it should include Imperial
Tobacco and Gallaher'
'90,000 cigarettes seized'
'Heath recalls being 'stabbed' with a cigarette'

Full Text

'BAT to face cigarette smuggling probe: ASH says it should include Imperial
Tobacco and Gallaher'

An ASH press release reports that, 'Responding to the news that the
Department of Trade and Industry will investigate British American Tobacco
over its role in global cigarette smuggling, Clive Bates, Director of ASH,
said it was an important victory in the fight against smuggling:

"It's a bold and important move by the government and it will be a turning
point in the battle against the large-scale cigarette smuggling. BAT's
fingerprints appear all over the massive global illegal trade in
cigarettes - and once the authorities properly understand the real causes
and commercial drivers of smuggling, we will be a long way towards tackling
the problem."

"The DTI has investigated serious large-scale misconduct before, but this
time it's not just a over-mighty individual rogue, but an entire business
operation under scrutiny, involving dozens of top executives and hundreds of
marketing staff. Smuggling probably contributes 300 to 500 million pounds
to BAT's bottom line."

ASH made three suggestions for the immediate way ahead. First, the DTI
should widen the investigation to include the British manufacturers,
Imperial Tobacco and Gallaher. ASH today publishes new research suggesting
complicity in UK tobacco smuggling.

Source: Ash Press Release, 30 October 2000
Link: http://www.ash.org.uk/?smuggling
http://www.ash.org.uk/html/press/001030a.html

'90,000 cigarettes seized'

Customs and excise officers in Scotland have seized smuggled cigarettes and
alcohol in a major operation.

Properties were raided across West Fife, and a total of 20kg of tobacco,
£10,000 in cash, 25 cases of spirit and more than 90,000 cigarettes were
discovered.

Officers from HM Customs & Excise began the operation by detaining three
people
at their workplace - Rosyth Dockyard. They then searched their homes and
found
substantial quantities of smuggled duty free goods.

The raid was the latest in a series of recovery operations. More than 20
million cigarettes have been seized since April.
Source: PA News, 30 October 2000

'Heath recalls being 'stabbed' with a cigarette'

BBC news online provides a list of famous quotes from Edward Heath, 'Just
afterwards, some chap was able to get at me and stab the back of my neck
with a cigarette. It wasn't very pleasant" - Describing the scene at
Conservative central office after winning the 1970 general election.'

Source: BBC News Online, 10 October 2000