Commonwealth of Massachusetts: Annual Report of Multi-Agency Illegal Tobacco Task Force
From: Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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Conclusion and Next Steps
As noted, the Task Force has significantly increased the scope and scale of its investigative and enforcement activities during the course of the past year. These enforcement actions have produced tangible results in the form of arrests and prosecutions of wrongdoers, dismantling and disrupting smuggling operations, removal of contraband tobacco products from circulation and
an increase in OTP tax collections. As it looks forward, the Task Force intends to continue its aggressive civil and criminal enforcement activities for the remainder of FY18 and continuing
into FY19.
Of course, the Task Force looks forward to working with the Legislature as it considers HB4065: An Act Combatting Illegal Tobacco and Preventing Further Loss of Revenue to the Commonwealth during the current legislative session. This legislation will provide tobacco enforcement officials additional tools to enforce the Commonwealth’s tobacco laws and to investigate and prosecute violators. In addition, the increased enforcement activities of the Task Force together with the increased civil and criminal penalties provided for in HB4065 will serve to deter unlawful activity and reduce the revenue loss to the Commonwealth from the illegal tobacco trade. Over the course of the next year, the Task Force will continue to evaluate methods to enhance tobacco enforcement, including the potential encrypted stamping of smokeless tobacco products. The Task Force additionally plans to gather information from other states regarding the impact of the upcoming legalization of the sale of recreational marijuana in the Commonwealth and the sale of vaping products on the illegal tobacco market. With this information, the Task Force will be prepared to make any adjustments to its tobacco enforcement and investigative strategies as are required by the changing marketplace.
