EU losing €13bn yearly to illicit cigarette factories, watchdog warns
The European Court of Auditors reports that nearly one in 10 cigarettes in the bloc are produced illegally or smuggled, with organized crime driving a boom in clandestine manufacturing.
The illegal tobacco trade is surging across the European Union, according to a report released Tuesday by the bloc's financial watchdog. The European Court of Auditors said illicit manufacturing has increased dramatically and now represents a larger problem than smuggling alone, costing EU member states approximately €13 billion in lost tax revenue annually.
The watchdog noted that the illegal trade has "changed significantly" in recent years, with organized crime increasingly operating clandestine cigarette factories in "almost every EU state." Nearly one in 10 cigarettes consumed in the bloc are now produced illicitly or smuggled, the report found.
Sources
- Organised crime driving illicit cigarette factory boom ‘in almost every EU state’ — The Guardian — World
EGazette summarizes reporting from multiple sources; follow the links for the originals.
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