From: StopSmuggling.ie
UK MPs call penalties for tobacco smuggling “too weak.”
A Westminister committee has strongly criticised the government and its agencies for not tackling the tobacco smuggling problem, calling it a “grave concern.” MPs described the enforcement rate as “farcical” and stated that the penalties were far “too weak” in stemming the tide of illicit cigarettes entering the country.
The number of illicit cigarettes being consumed in the UK rose by 49% to approximately one billion in 2012. It is estimated that the sale of illegal tobacco costs the UK Exchequer approximately £2 billion (€2.5 billion) in unpaid duty every year.
