Officers from the Immigration and Checkpoint Authority uncovered an attempt to smuggle in 2,150 cartons of cigarettes, which would have drawn duties totalling some $165,000. The cigarettes were found hidden within the undercarriage of a Malaysian lorry that pulled up at the Woodlands Checkpoint in the early hours of Monday, carrying a consignment of concrete paving slabs. The 34-year-old driver admitted to being aware of the contraband. He claime ... Jump to full article >>

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Bootleggers beware. A warning in Illinois promises anyone smuggling cigarettes will be punished. The problem is coming right over the border from Missouri, and Illinois officials worry it’s going to get worse. Drivers coming into Illinois are being greeted with a warning. It’s a sign is on the Illinois side of the McKinley bridge in Vencie. It warns that cigarette smugglers will be punished with jail time, fines and vehicle seizures. ... Jump to full article >>

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The Finance Ministry will launch a strict country-wide audit to tackle smuggled cigarettes and alcoholic beverages, which is predicted to increase after recent rises in the private consumption tax (ÖTV) on these products. According to information from the Anatolia news agency gathered from anonymous sources in the Revenues Administration (GİB), tax auditors will focus more on alcoholic beverages and tobacco products this year to fight smuggling ... Jump to full article >>

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Sharp increases in the price of cigarettes in January 2010 could fuel an explosion in tobacco smuggling, the Tobacco Retailers Alliance (TRA) has warned. The proposed increase to VAT announced in the chancellor’s pre-Budget report will mean a price rise of around 13 – 18p on a packet of 20 cigarettes. Retailers fear the cost increase will push more smokers onto the black market in tobacco products, which are typically sold at half the ... Jump to full article >>

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The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has just until Dec. 26 to conclude discussions with Switzerland-based Sicpa Product Security SA for the firm’s unsolicited proposal to provide tamper proof security stamps on cigarettes and alcohol products in the Philippines, an agency official said. BIR Deputy Commissioner Lilia Guillermo, in a recent briefing with lawmakers on the Sicpa project, said that under the Build-Operate-Transfer Law or RA 7718, a ... Jump to full article >>

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Thirteen Washington area residents were indicted on charges of trading guns, drugs and cash for black market cigarettes to sell in New York, according to documents filed in federal court in Alexandria. Two conspirators are also accused of hiring a hit man to kill a husband and wife that they believed tried to steal from them. “The alleged crimes go far beyond illegal cigarettes, but also involve drugs, guns, and a plot to murder,” U.S ... Jump to full article >>

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