Recent data show Switzerland experienced a roughly 50% increase in illicit cigarette imports between 2020 and 2024, with approximately 300 million contraband cigarettes entering the market in 2024, which is equivalent to about 3.5% of national consumption. Kosovo has been identified as the leading source, supplying a significant portion of the smuggled products. The financial impact is estimated in the tens of millions of francs in tax losses.
Independent assessments of European tobacco trade note that many illicit cigarettes have no identifiable brand origin. However, statistical analyses consistently point to a concentration of smuggling through a small number of transit corridors, particularly routes from Kosovo into Swiss territory via air or cross-border land transport.
