From: NACS Online
U.S. State Department publication outlines the negative impact of illegal tobacco and government efforts to curb the trade.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Late last week, the U.S. government announced its plan to combat the illicit tobacco trade. In support of the U.S. National Strategy to Combat Transnational Organized Crime, the U.S. Department of State launched “The Global Illicit Trade in Tobacco: A Threat to National Security,” a publication outlining the emerging negative impact of the illicit trade in tobacco and the government’s efforts to combat it.
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The Interagency Working Group (IWG) to Combat Illicit Tobacco, a first-of-its-kind group that promotes a targeted approach to counter this domestic and international crime, discussed the publication at its December 2 meeting. Recognizing the importance of international cooperation, participants from Australia, Canada, Europol, France, Germany, Mexico and the United Kingdom joined representatives from the State Department, Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Health and Human Services, FBI, and other agencies. The groups discussed bolstering cooperation in order to more effectively counter this growing security threat.
