From: The Frederick News-Post
Kate Leckie News-Post Staff
FREDERICK — Buy two packs of cigarettes down the road in Virginia and you might save a few bucks. Bring three packs into Maryland, and police could seize your car.
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It’s all part of a Maryland law passed during the late 1990s to discourage cigarette smugglers from bypassing the Free State’s dollar-a-pack tax by buying cheaper smokes where the levies are less, as in Virginia, West Virginia or Delaware.
Under the law, Maryland residents are limited to possessing two packs of cigarettes purchased outside the state.
For residents of other states driving through Maryland, the limit is a carton — 10 packs.
“We want to be reasonable about this, but with the smugglers, we’re talking about significant (tax revenue) losses,” said Dale Irwin of the state comptroller’s office.
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