From: ABC New York | Eyewitness News
Exclusive: Illegal cigarettes are big business in New York City
By N.J. Burkett
NEW YORK (WABC) –Authorities in the Bronx have announced a major takedown of a cigarette smuggling ring, with the year-long investigation resulting in more than $1 million in untaxed tobacco. And it appears illegal cigarettes are a big business in New York City.
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By some estimates, 80 percent of the cigarettes sold in New York City are sold illegally, either over the counter or in the backrooms of bodegas where a typical pack can sell for as little as $8 or $9 instead of the usual $13.
