COUNTERFEIT REPORT
December 1st, 2003
BY ALAN OSBORN
CUSTOMS officers of the 15 European Union (EU) member countries seized "several million" packets of counterfeit cigarettes in 2002, a sharp increase in criminal activity in the tobacco sector over the previous year. A European Commission report said that some seized cigarettes seized "had a rate of nicotine or tar double or triple that indicated on the packet". Brussels said this reflected a trend where counterfeiters are moving downmarket from luxury products to everyday consumer items.
CUSTOMS officers of the 15 European Union (EU) member countries seized "several million" packets of counterfeit cigarettes in 2002, a sharp increase in criminal activity in the tobacco sector over the previous year. A European Commission report said that some seized cigarettes seized "had a rate of nicotine or tar double or triple that indicated on the packet". Brussels said this reflected a trend where counterfeiters are moving downmarket from luxury products to everyday consumer items.
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