Monthly Archives: February 2014

Editor’s Note: The following is an excerpt from remarks by David Luna at AFSEC 14. The complete remarks are available here.

From: US Department of State

Remarks

From: Sentinel

EDISON — A man has pleaded guilty to his involvement in a cigarette heist that took place in a trucking facility in Edison almost four years ago.

Augustine “Augie” Guido, 73, of Staten Island, N.Y., pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit the cargo theft during a hearing in Newark federal court on Feb. 18. The theft involved a trailer containing 270 cases of counterfeit cigarettes in July 2010, according to U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman.

From: Express & Echo

The £3m of cigarettes washed onto an East Devon beach will be incinerated and converted into energy to produce electricity, it has been announced today.

Police and East Devon District Council staff assisted coastguards with a 14-hour recovery operation of a £3m haul of cigarettes which washed up on Seaton beach after toppling off a Danish cargo ship on Valentine’s Day.

The container carrying around 14 tonnes of Lark cigarettes was discovered on the shoreline near Axmouth Harbour by a member of the public at around 8.10am on Sunday, February 23.

From: Human Events

By: Michael D. LaFaive and Todd Nesbit

As state and local units of government continue to hike cigarette excise taxes to raise revenues, smugglers apparently continue to profit from their illicit trafficking.

Nationwide, our research — and other academic papers — suggest that cigarette smuggling is not abating dramatically. There is both empirical and recent anecdotal evidence to suggest the problem is increasing in some areas along with big excise tax hikes.

We have just published our fourth set of smuggling estimates for 47 of the 48 contiguous states, expanding our research to include data through 2012. Previous editions were released last year as well as in 2008 and 2010.

From: Ipswich Star

Colin Adwent Crime Correspondent

Black market cigarettes and tobacco have been seized after four shops were targeted in Ipswich.

The seizures were made during the joint operation between HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) officers and Suffolk trading standards officers.

During the operation contraband was found in a concealed unit in one of the convenience stores.

A total of 1,680 cigarettes and 700 grams of hand rolling tobacco with an estimated duty loss of £1,500 were discovered during the visits.

Although a relatively small number of illegal goods were found, it is not unusual when officers visit stores suspected of selling black market cigarettes.