The Jamaica Customs Department has made a considerable imprint in a smuggling ring involving the illegal movement of cigarettes in the Island.
A release from the department said more than 200 master cases of Newport cigarettes were found yesterday concealed in a container with contents declared as refrigerators and general merchandise.
The cigarettes though not labelled for the Jamaican market were consigned to a local importer and import duty foregone would be approximately J$50 million.
untaxed cigarettes
Commissioner of Customs Danville Walker stated that "these cigarettes are not counterfeits, they are in fact legitimate products being sold to traders in Jamaica.They are brought into the island illegally and unfairly compete with brands which are required to pay taxes."
"It is the view of the Customs Department that the companies which own the brands being smuggled are doing very little to prevent this illegal activity and are clearly benefiting from it," the release said.
The department said no one has been arrested in connection with this seizure but investigators are following very strong leads.
The Customs Department is renewing its efforts to stamp out this illicit trade and intends to pursue aggressively strong intelligence against this smuggling ring," noted the release.
