Canada’s National Coalition Against Contraband Tobacco (NCACT) has used the World Health Organization’s World No Tobacco Day, May 31, to highlight the problem of the illegal trade in cigarettes.
In a CNW press note, the NCACT said that May 31was particularly relevant to Ontario given the massive contraband tobacco problem in the province, where illegal cigarettes accounted for 1-in-3 of the cigarettes purchased there during the past year.
Gary Grant, national spokesperson for the coalition, said that “baggies” filled with illegal cigarettes contained few or no warnings. “If young people are not asked to show identification when buying illicit products, it makes it impossible to control their access to tobacco,” he said. “Society loses. Organized crime wins.”
The NCACT said that two months ago, the biggest illicit tobacco bust in North American history, involving more than 700 police officers, took place in Canada. ‘This bust, known as Operation Mygale, resulted in the arrests of more than 60 people and included the seizure of close to 53,000 kg of tobacco,’ the NCACT press note said. ‘According to law enforcement groups, over the past 18 months the criminals involved in this bust illegally imported into Canada close to 2,300 tons of processed tobacco, which represents a total production of four billion cigarettes.’
The bust was said to have included also the seizure 836 kg of cocaine and other drugs, making it one of the three largest seizures in Canada during the past 25 years.
“The recent Operation Mygale bust shows that this is a problem that isn’t getting better,” said Grant. “Given Ontario has the worst illegal cigarette problem in the country, we wanted to meet with policy advisors and MPPs from all parties to discuss what to do against this growing threat.”
‘Commitment to enforcement is essential in the fight against illegal tobacco, particularly given the estimated 175 organized criminal groups involved in its sale,’ the press note said. ‘With the Ontario budget’s recent tobacco tax increase, it is essential that the government allow new enforcement measures, like the new Contraband Tobacco Enforcement Team, to disrupt the illegal networks, leading to more effective contraband reduction. The NCACT has found that an increase in the price differential between legal and illegal product will only make it easier for the organized criminal groups involved in the trade to profit and fund their other illegal activities. Large increases in taxes will drive consumers to seek less expensive alternatives which is counter-productive to the province’s contraband enforcement commitment.’
Grant said that World No Tobacco Day offered an important opportunity to discuss the fact that illicit cigarettes continued to be a scourge on communities. “They fund organized crime,” he said. “They facilitate youth smoking. They short-change taxpayers a phenomenal amount of money. We hope the Ontario government will prioritize this issue and look forward to working with legislators to ensure it is given the attention it needs.”