Tobacco.org

• Tobacco giant 'aided smuggling' 

ONE of Britain's biggest tobacco firms, Gallaher, has been accused by a key distributor of "permitting" the illegal smuggling of its cigarettes.

The distributor, Ptolomeous Tlais, who sold Gallaher's products throughout the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Asia, claims the company set up a trading "environment" conducive to illegal activity. The Cypriot-based businessman also alleges in papers lodged at the High Court that a senior Gallaher executive encouraged him to smuggle products.

Gallaher strongly denies the claims and states Tlais is responsible for the massive smuggling of its products which has deprived the British exchequer of hundreds of millions in lost duties over the past few years.

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