ROGUE tobacco smugglers are costing Limerick retailers €21 million a year, as well as contributing to job losses and funding crime.
Research commissioned by the former Gallagher group – now Japan Tobacco International – has revealed that more than one in four of all cigarettes sold in Limerick is counterfeit.
Spokesperson Alec Elliot, told the Limerick Post that the tobacco giants deal with 184 retailers in Limerick city and county. “We hear it from the retailers all the time that their sales have taken a huge hit but the research proves it. And the exchequer is missing €250 million’.
The research company employed an empty carton collection method, identifying the forged packets and the legitimate packets and comparing numbers.
The tobacco company also tests tobacco residue to check if it is from a legitimate source. “We’ve found everything from rat droppings toenail clippings in the illicit stuff, ” said Mr Elliot.
The research company witnessed illegal tobacco being sold in Limerick at markets, in the car park of a hotel and in industrial estates.
“What the dealers are doing now is dropping hand-written photocopied ‘shopping lists’ through doors advertising how much cheaper their cigarettes are. They are selling packs of twenty imitations of premium brands for €4 or €4.50. The real ones cost €9.50″.
Some cigarettes being sold for €4.50 are bought for as little as 40 cents, making it a big business, particularly for criminal gangs.
Shane Glesson, owner of the Spar shop in Catherine Street and whose family own other shops around the city says the illegal trade has meant huge losses and has made a major contribution to having to let staff go.
“I see it all the time. Regular customers who buy other things but not cigarettes. Many of them boast about it – they show me the packet and tell me they can get twenty for €4.50. The thing is, the people selling this stuff are operating at the edge of criminality and they’re going into people’s homes. They bring cigarettes but they can also bring drugs too”.
Sources in Customs and Excise confirmed to the Limerick Post that the illicit trade is funding or connected with other criminal activity.
“It is our experience that some of the people involved in the trade of illegal cigarettes are criminals or involved in criminal gangs. There certainly is a crossover,” the source said.
via Illegal cigarettes costing Limerick jobs (394 with quote box) | Limerick Post Newswrite.
