EU SAYS CIGARETTE COUNTERFEITING BOOMING – CHINA TO BLAME
November 1st, 2006
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has warned of a continued surge in counterfeits of cigarettes entering the European Union (EU), with more than 32.6 million fake packets seized by customs officials last year. That said, this actually represents a fall in numbers from 2004, being 78% of the 41 million seized in that year. Stressing Chinese fraudsters dominated the trade, Brussels said 74% of fake imported cigarette packs seized came from mainland China; 7% from the United Arab Emirates; 5% from Turkey; 2% Malaysia; 1% Switzerland; 1% Romania; 1% Guinea; ...
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