U. S. shows little interest in tackling tobacco smuggling
Jump to full article: National Post (ca), 2008-05-08
Author: John Ivison, National Post
Intro: Stockwell Day launched a new contraband tobacco control strategy yesterday that could only work in Canada: He appealed to Canadians to please, please drive past smoke shacks selling 200 cigarettes in clear, plastic resealable bags for as little as $6 and instead fork over $75-$90 for legal cartons.
"I'm asking individuals to consider that they are contributing to a dangerous pipeline of criminal activity. This is not a victimless crime or a benign activity," the Public Safety Minister said at a press conference.
Mr. Day's appeal to our better angels probably has more chance of success than the rest of the strategy, which consists of dismantling manufacturing facilities, disrupting supply lines and seizing illicit tobacco.
This is because 90% of the contraband seized thus far in Canada originated from factories on the U. S. side of the Akwesasne reserve, which straddles the American and Canadian sides of the St. Lawrence River, and there are few signs that U. S. authorities are anywhere near as enthusiastic about shutting down businesses on Indian land.
There are said to be 13 factories on the Akwesasne-St. Regis Mohawk reserve, churning out millions of cigarettes, which are then loaded into vans by organized criminal gangs . . .
Mr. Day has raised the issue with Michael Chertoff, U. S. Secretary of Homeland Security, but there seems to be no willingness on his part to expend political capital by cracking down on the problem before the tobacco leaves the factories.
It raises the question about the usefulness of the Security and Prosperity Partnership with the United States and all that bilge about smart borders and foiling transnational crime. . . .
If the roles were reversed, and the Americans were losing billions in foregone tax revenue, they would be demanding that we jump -- and we would be asking politely: "How high?" Is it too much for Ottawa to ask that the United States is as good as its promises?
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