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A NEW SURVEY has found that two thirds of all cigarettes for sale illegally in Dublin are manufactured specifically for the black market.
In the test purchase exercise, carried out on behalf of tobacco manufacturer Philip Morris International, it was found that these brands, known as ‘illicit whites’, made up the bulk of black market trading.
The company carries outs research in the area of the consumption of black market cigarettes around the EU. Speaking in 2013, Artyom Chernis, a representative from the company said, “The black market for tobacco is bad for business and bad for communities across the EU.”
In the course of carrying out the test purchase, a number of brands that had not appeared on the market in the UK or Ireland before were found. These included:
The study was carried out by a number expert investigators, in a team headed by Detective Chief Superintendent, Kevin Donohoe, and former Scotland Yard Detective Chief Inspector, Will O’Reilly.
Speaking about the find, Donohoe said, “While this study provides just a snap shot of the illegal tobacco trade, our operatives purchased various products with relative ease throughout many parts of the city.
“The illegal trade is well organised, providing large profits for those involved, who are primarily highly organised criminal networks.”
In a statement sent out by the tobacco company it states that the illicit trade of tobacco undermines key public policy concerns in the area and undermines “the core purposes of the regulatory initiatives to reduce tobacco usage.”
In the coming months a more comprehensive test-purchase study will be carried out across Ireland.
Recently, a Eurobarometer survey found that around 21% of people smoke in Ireland, compared to a European average of 26%.
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“…carried out on behalf of tobacco manufacturer Philip Morris International”.
Tobacco company produces research on something that negatively affects its profits.
Good, honest, objective research.
Thank you to all the Irish Heart Foundation and all the other do gooders out there who campaign for higher tax on tobacco products. This rise in crime is thanks to you.
Oh shut up you clown. They’ve saved thousands of lives by convincing people not to smoke.
Indeed and now have the government addicted to tobacco taxes.
Smoking is really bad for you and the huge profits are used to corrupt governments worldwide. Now, illegal ones on the other hand……
Just ban them altogether and have done with it.
You realise that will increase crime, not to mention that it is a fascist thing to do?
How is it fascist?
Yeah because prohibition worked really well with alcohol and drugs.
Using the word “Fascist” without any understanding of what fascism is, is how uneducated or pubescent commentators identify themselves online.
Next up by Morris our ones r not as bad for u as the black market ones
Anyone who inhales tobacco smoke into their lungs have to have their sanity called into question.
Trust us even though we kill half of our customers and do everything to replace em
Ahhhhhhh lovely fags
All smokers under the age of 70 knew the risks of smoking when they started. It’s nonsense to imply that a big branded legal cigarette is less dangerous than a black market cigarette, not because it’s not true (it probably is) but because ordinary cigarettes are themselves known carcinogens. All smokers are spasmos.
Apparently manufacturers made normal cigarettes smaller over the last few months. Few mates have said it to me that the length of standard smokes here appear smaller than the same brands on the continent!
Ahh, Phillip Morris…concerned for their customers well-being, as always. Love to see the CEO, the board, and all their management being led away in handcuffs, serving long sentences for mass murder. Evil industry. They have the morality of a diseased dog.
The Chinese ones have rats poo and urine in them, must be for that extra smooth drag?
The arsenic, lead and other heavy metals help as well???
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