Traceability key to clamping down on counterfeit cigarettes trade

The 5.5m cigarettes seized by Revenue officials at Dublin Port on Wednesday, Novemnber 25. 

Investing in tax stamp and traceability programmes will help countries, including Ireland, curb the counterfeit cigarette industry, which generates upwards of €40bn by flooding nations with cigarettes made with cheaper but far more harmful ingredients.

That is according to the International Tax Stamp Association, which claims the Covid-19 pandemic has provided cover for counterfeiters and smugglers to trade in illicit tobacco.