From: Voices of NY
[Voice of NY Editor’s note: On June 7, the World Journal published three stories by reporter Mike Hong focusing on the booming market for smuggled cigarettes in the Chinese community. Here is a round-up, translated by Rong Xiaoqing.]
Cigarette smuggling has been a long-existing problem in New York state thanks to the hefty cigarette tax, the highest in the nation. A report says 60 percent of the cigarettes sold here are smuggled. State Sen. Marty Golden recently proposed legislation aiming to crack down on the black market with stronger force by increasing the related budget for the police and setting a cigarette tax enforcement fund to reward whistleblowers.
But in the Chinese community where cigarette smuggling has been rampant, some people don’t think the legislation will work.
In the Chinese community, the way to purchase smuggled cigarettes is an open secret. The vendors are cautious. They advertise by word of mouth. To avoid being caught by undercover inspectors, they only accept customers who are referred by people they know. Smokers are always able to find them. Buyers and sellers often communicate via phone or WeChat, the popular social media platform among Chinese.
