Monthly Archives: September 2013

From: New Straits Times

THE next time you light up a contraband cigarette, you may be funding organised crime syndicates or, worse, terrorist organisations.

Investigators have revealed to the New Straits Times that regional terrorist organisation such as Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah could be getting funding from local organised crime gangs.

The Home Ministry and crime prevention groups have begun drawing links to these organisations and the thriving illicit cigarette business that last year alone cost the government in excess of RM2 billion in lost taxes.

“There is a chance that these terrorist organisations, including global terror groups such as al-Qaeda, are using local organised crime gangs to help  them finance their operations.

From: New Straits Times

KUALA TERENGGANU:  The high cost of cigarettes is among the main causes of a  glut in fake cigarettes being smuggled into the country.

The Domestic, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry’s enforcement  director, Roslan Mahayudin said these cigarettes were sold cheaper than original  cigarettes.

He said the opportunity was being used by irresponsible individuals to  make easy money.

“Illegal cigarettes appeal to the public as their price is far cheaper.  Normally, imitation cigarettes are sold at RM3.00 per packet and original  cigarettes at around RM7.00 per packet.

From: BBC

A team of European Union inspectors are visiting Gibraltar to investigate a border row that has caused diplomatic tensions between the UK and Spain.

The UK and Gibraltar, a UK territory, complained to the EU that Spain’s over-zealous checks on border traffic were holding up workers and tourists.

Spain accuses Gibraltar of not doing enough to combat cigarette smuggling.

The six inspectors are expected to interview people and observe immigration and customs procedures.

On Wednesday morning, drivers were queuing at the border for up to two hours, according to Gibraltar authorities.

‘Nothing to hide’

Editor’s Note: The video of the rocket firing is available here.

From: Independent.ie

A ROCKET fired by al Qaeda at a massive container ship blew the lid off a multi-million euro illegal cigarette operation run by a millionaire businessman with links to Provo chief Thomas ‘Slab’ Murphy, the Sunday Independent has learnt.

The massive smuggling operation was uncovered when terrorists fired two rockets at the Asia Cosco cargo ship as it made its way along Egypt’s Suez Canal.

One of the rockets hit a container that was destined for a bogus furniture company in Dundalk.

From: Forbes

Kelly Phillips Erb

She might not have looked like a criminal but I could tell she was up to no good the minute she opened her mouth. And when she handed me her New Jersey driver’s license, it confirmed my suspicions. Nobody buys that many cartons of cigarettes with an out of state ID to merely take them back to their beach house and smoke. She was planning on smuggling those cigarettes across state lines. So I did exactly what any other teen-aged sales clerk would do: I rang her up and sent her on her way.