So How's That Prohibition Idea Working Out
Organised criminals target Scots smokers with illegal cigarettes - The Scotsman
ABOUT one in 12 cigarettes in Scotland is made and sold illegally - funding criminal activities and costing the government millions of pounds in lost tax revenue.
A survey found that smokers in Paisley bought the highest proportion of illegal cigarettes at 13.7 per cent, while in Glasgow one in ten cigarettes is not bought from legal sources.
Scotland, along with the rest of the UK, is seen as a lucrative target for cigarette smugglers, due to high domestic duty on cigarettes.
"Tobacco smuggling is organised crime on a global scale with huge profits ploughed back into activities like drug dealing, people smuggling and fraud," said John Whiting, assistant director of criminal investigations at HM Revenue & Customs.
Now there's an unexpected result, who would know that punitive pricing and prohibition funds the creation of crime syndicates. Obviously criminals and politicians, sorry I repeat myself, will be clamouring for more prohibition to boost their profits. The obvious alternative is just too silly for words.
Comments
Ah well, expect more of the same when Salmond brings in minimum alcohol pricing.
Posted by: Curmudgeon | August 9, 2011 8:46 AM
"Tobacco smuggling is organised crime on a global scale with huge profits ploughed back into activities like drug dealing, people smuggling and fraud," said John Whiting, assistant director of criminal investigations at HM Revenue & Customs.
What a ridiculous statement ... with 'huge profits' why would anyone go into other areas? :)
Posted by: Smoking Hot | August 9, 2011 9:44 AM
Even cigarettes sell in an illegal way? Well it is not impossible nowadays. They are so smart to have an idea of selling cigarettes on illegal way, the government should take an action, they should get the lost money on that criminals.
Posted by: tv liscence | August 10, 2011 3:28 AM
Smoking Hot: The criminal diversification has been well documented by Misha Glenny. Not pleasant, but entirely unsurprising.
Posted by: BrianSJ | August 10, 2011 7:44 AM