A B O U T

The UK has the most expensive cigarettes in the EU and among the most expensive cigarettes in the world. This is in large part to deter people from smoking. However, the public health benefits of this taxation policy have been greatly undermined by tobacco smuggling.
Smuggled tobacco now accounts for about 17% of the tobacco market.

Counterfeit tobacco accounts for an increasing amount of smuggled tobacco in the UK.
Over 25% of smuggled tobacco is counterfeit, often manufactured in the Far East, and over half of all hand-rolled tobacco smoked in the UK.

Illicit Tobacco is described as not having had the duty paid on it or it having been smuggled or illegally produced. The Tobacco Products Duty Act 19792 provides the provisions for paying duty on tobacco and tobacco products.
The UK tax on tobacco products including cigarettes, cigars and hand rolled tobacco is the highest in the European Union. Cheap and illicit tobacco undermines any work that the impact of taxation and other tobacco control measures put in place. Measures such as raising the age of sale to 18 and picture health warnings on packaging are rendered less effective whilst illicit tobacco exists.

BWY Canine are now able to offer Tobacco Detection Dog Teams to help fight against the rise in illicit/counterfeit tobacco.

We are quite happy to work alongside agencies like HM Revenue & Customs, the Police and Trading Standards teams in a bid to control the illegal tobacco trade. For more information about this service please either email or telephone us at our head office.