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Jump to full article: Toronto (Ont) Sun (ca), 2009-11-16
Author: KEVIN CONNOR, SUN MEDIA
Intro: Some of the money earned from the sale of black market smokes is fuelling firearm and drug smuggling by organized crime, an expert says.
About $2 billion in tax revenue goes up in smoke as a result of the sale of illegal smokes, according to a report by the Canadian Tobacco Manufacturers Council. About 13 billion illegal cigarettes are sold in Canada each year.
"People think selling contraband cigarettes is a victimless crime and no one gets hurt. Yes, it deprives us of tax dollars, but it is money that is pumped back into organized crime," said Gary Grant, a former Toronto cop, who heads the National Coalition Against Contraband Tobacco.
"Organized criminals are lining their pockets with sales from illegal cigarettes to traffic their weapons and drugs," he added yesterday.
NCACT recently conducted a study, which found 30% of the cigarette butts collected around high schools were from illegal smokes.
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