The Ministry of Finance has revealed data showing that illegal tobacco smuggling has increased since the March 11 disaster.
The ministry says the number of illegally smuggled cigarettes seized between January and March was 2.2 times higher than in 2010, at 152,000 cigarettes. However, during the period from April to June, the number increased 8.7 times to 304,000.
Many smugglers were bringing the cigarettes in from the Philippines and South Korea, Jiji Press reported.
In its report, the ministry speculated that the increase had been due to damaged tobacco production plants being unable to meet demand since the devastating series of earthquakes and tsunami that struck the Tohoku region in March.
© Japan Today
11 Comments
some14some
304,000 cigarettes = few cartons= a big loss of revenue = a big concern for Japan's Finance Ministry ?
minello7
Is that a misprint 152000, only what a packet a day man would smoke in twenty years.
minello7
Is that a misprint , only what a two packet a day man would smoke in twenty years
bonword
That does seem like a low number - perhaps they mean cartons and not individual cigarettes?
nath
Maybe it means cases and not cartons. Or possibly boat containers.
Jared Norman
who really cares
paulinusa
How are they sold and who buys them?
chikasho
ahh the joys of lung candy.
Novenachama
Illicit trade in tobacco has always been a massive global problem and undermines the effort to reduce tobacco use, saves lives, fund organized crime and even terrorist organizations costing government billions in lost tax revenue. Unfortunately illicit trade in tobacco products circumvents policies to reduce tobacco use in higher tobacco taxes and encourages consumption by making cigarettes available cheaply. Therefore tobacco smuggling is a threat to international security. However by increasing international coordination and assistance, nations can probably strengthen efforts to hopefully reduce tobacco use around the world.
Cos
Oh "smuggling" ... I think there is no typo. They count the cigarettes the tax guys at airports seize from tourists that are allowed to bring in 1 big pack and actually bring 2 or 3, There are more, because this year, more people went back to S-Korea and the Philippines and brought more ciggies as omiyage.
Oh dear... the efforts of JT being undermined. Give me a box of tissues.
Yubaru
That comes out to 1,520 cartons. Which if one pack costs 410 yen, 4,100 yen per carton, or roughly a bit over 6,200,000 yen. Divide that number by how much is taken out in taxes percentage wise, even if it's 50% you are talking about $30,000 or so in tax money. Peanuts in the overall scheme of things!
One would think the tax folks have bigger fish to fry. (Olympus & Co.)