Editor’s Note: Children being expoited by criminal gangs is one of contraband tobacco’s least recognized dangers.
From: Lancashire Evening Post
Illegal cigarette plea as dodgy tobacco found on the streets
Pictures of illicit cigarettes potentially for sale on Lancashire’s streets have been released in a bid to bring dodgy traders to justice.
Two brands manufactured specifically for the black market, called Jin Ling and L&M are suspected to be being sold.
***
Pedlars who sell illegal tobacco – for cheaper prices than legal cigarettes – make it affordable for people to smoke, reducing the incentive for people to quit and leading to more deaths from smoking related illnesses.
Often recruiting lower scale runners – including children – to do their dirty work, the products are peddled in the poorest, most disadvantaged communities where criminals know residents cannot afford full priced cigarettes.
To report information e-mail: tsscams@lancashire.gov.uk
