From: Richmond Times-Dispatch
***
Cigarette trafficking is big business, with millions of dollars changing hands as the smuggled contraband make its way from Virginia to northern states. The activity also is generating the same sort of crimes once associated with cocaine in Virginia, including burglary, money laundering, identity theft and possibly murder.
“The related crimes are staggering,” said William V. Pelfrey Jr., an associate professor of criminal justice at Virginia Commonwealth University. “This is a significantly understudied area, particularly given the substantial revenue available and the potential for organized crime activity.”
