From: CRE Brazil
Editor’s Note: For the Portuguese original, please see here.
Cigarettes are the most seized contraband product in Brazil. It is estimated that, in a year, the country loses almost R$6.5 billion (US$2.1 billion) in taxes. Most of this contraband comes in through Paraguay, which borders the states of Mato Grosso do Sul and Paraná.
According to data from the Federal Highway Police, in the first half of this year 20.6 million packs were smuggled in to Mato Grosso do Sul alone, surpassing the total amount collected in 2016.
