From: Tampa Bay Times
Law enforcement agents announced a crackdown Monday on the coordinated theft and illegal trade of cigarettes, accusing two Hillsborough County men of racketeering and 15 store operators of buying bootleg smokes out of greed. [OCTAVIO JONES | Times]
TAMPA — Law enforcement agents announced a crackdown Monday on the coordinated theft and illegal trade of cigarettes, accusing two Hillsborough County men of racketeering and 15 store operators of buying bootleg smokes out of greed.
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Thieves worked in teams of two or three to steal cigarettes — sometimes by force — ranging in value from $150 to $7,000, he said. The operation was based in Hillsborough, he said.
