From: Peterborough Telegraph
By Matthew Reville
A new survey has found that almost one in five cigarettes sold in Peterborough is imported illegally to the city from other countries.
The findings by the International Tax and Investment Centre showed that sellers had not paid duty to the HMRC for 19 per cent of cigarettes sold in Peterborough this summer.
That is up from 16.9 per cent in the same period of 2011 and much higher than the national average of 12.4 per cent.
Cigarettes are easy to transport from abroad, where taxes are lower and therefore make it more profitable to sell.
The report claims people buying cheap cigarettes from street vendors could also unwittingly be financing large-scale organised crime.
Peter Stonely, principal trading standards officer at Peterborough City Council, said: “We certainly know there is an issue that needs action.
“If they are found on sale we will seize their stock. We can prosecute the people selling them and they will get a criminal conviction and a fine.
“If it is a licensed premises we will also consider challenging their licence to sell alcohol.
“The most serious repercussion for purchasers is for their health. They could be more harmful, you don’t know what they put into these cigarettes, as they do not have regulation.”
Smoker Jason Smith, of London Road, Fletton, said: “Shops sell them under the counter – they are cheaper but they taste vile.
“If it was cheaper in proper shops, I don’t think anyone would buy them anywhere else.”
Muntazeer Sakur, of Discount News, in Westgate, said: “We get a lot of people coming in asking for Polish cigarettes.
“But we don’t sell anything that hasn’t come through legally and we get everything from a local cash and carry.
“The cheap cigarettes are sold on the black market – that is the only place you will see them in Peterborough.”
In the UK, £2.2 billion is estimated to be lost from the public purse in illegal cigarettes.
The Tax and Investment Centre report said: “Counterfeits of UK brands originate mostly from the Far East.
“The counterfeiters show ever-increasing sophistication in the face of international enforcement efforts.
“Cigarette smuggling is a highly profitable option for organised crime gangs and terrorist networks.
“People involved in the illicit trade of tobacco products are also involved in other forms of illicit trade, such as drugs, human trafficking and guns.”
