From: The Courier.co.uk
By Leeza Clark
Organised criminals are doing a roaring trade selling illicit cigarettes to unsuspecting Fifers.
The ease with which cheap tobacco is available was unearthed in a study commissioned by Philip Morris International, which manufactures seven of the world’s top tobacco brands.
A team of undercover test purchasers, led by former Scotland Yard Detective Chief Inspector Will O’Reilly, uncovered a trail of tobacco traders.
These ranged from illicit to counterfeit cigarettes that have been “made to look like the real thing”.
Also in the mix are contraband cigarettes brought into the UK from other markets where they are sold more cheaply, and illicit whites that are manufactured purely for smuggling.
