On 18th June, EU Reporter carried an article about the OLAF annual report in which the organisation details it s attempts to stem a lucrative “trade that stretches from counterfeiters in China and renegade factories in Russia to Indian reservations in New York and warlords in Pakistan and North Africa”. The article says that a 2017 study, analysing the cigarette smuggling in the EU, Norway and Switzerland, revealed that in 2016 more than 9% of all cigarettes consumed in Europe were illegal – 48 billion cigarettes, with 5 countries – France, Poland, UK, Germany and Italy – accounted for more than 62% of all illegal consumption in Europe. In particular, OLAF mentions the illegal activities of tobacco smuggling in Montenegro, which already has huge problems of illegal trade of tobacco in its Free Trade Zone located in the port of Bar. Another problem area, it says, is tobacco smuggling into the EU territory by road from third countries such as Belarus, Ukraine and Russia.
https://www.eureporter.co/frontpage/2018/06/18/how-is-olaf-fighting-illicit-cigarette-market/
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