E-Commerce, Delivery Services and the Illicit Tobacco Trade
From: Royal United Services Institute (RUSI)
This Occasional Paper explores the exploitation of the internet and delivery services in relation to illicit tobacco and tobacco products.
This Occasional Paper examines the exploitation of the internet and delivery services in relation to illicit trade in tobacco products in Europe. The findings are based on primary research in the form of semi-structured interviews with subject matter experts from law enforcement agencies, government, the private sector, NGOs and international organisations conducted in the UK, France and Germany between May and July 2018.
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More broadly, there is a need to strengthen information-sharing mechanisms between law enforcement agencies and other parts of the private sector. While cooperation has improved considerably in recent years, the private sector collects a large amount of useable information related to illicit trade, yet in many cases law enforcement agencies do not use this information. Improving information sharing with the private sector – including the tobacco industry – would provide law enforcement agencies across Europe with a richer intelligence picture of the individuals and groups involved in illicit trade activity.
