new black market?

[archer0830]

Hey guys. Nother question for ya. After the smoking thread I forgot to post a topic kind of realated to it and now that the marijuana thread resurfaced it sparked my memeory.

Have any of you heard that the black market is starting to get involved with cigarette sales now? I heard out in new york it's starting to become a big issue since cigarettes are close to 7 bucks a pack or somewhere in that range. Recently I heard on the news that Chicago is adding another 75 cent tax on cigarettes and they are about 5 bucks a pack already.

Have any of you heard of this 'new black market' for cigarettes? I'm not sure where I heard this from. For all I know it could just be an untrue rumor which is why I'm asking. I can see it happen though. If cigarettes get too expensive, the black market can make some good profits off selling stolen cigarettes for much cheaper than retail price. Thanks!

Mike

[LiveWire03]

I think that cigarettes are wayyy over priced, and that the prices extremely vary from store to store. For instance, right now I work at Walgreens and a pack of Camel Royals cost $3.99, wheras at a gas station they cost $2.99--Way too much money to pay for something thats going to kill you *shrugg* I remember awhile ago there was a spring of cigarette thefts from drug stores in the Orlando area, but I haven't heard of anything recently.

[DaLAW]

People get addicted to cigarettes, the gov knows this and will exploit it for all the money they can. I like the idea because it kind of punishes people who choose to smoke and maybe helps them quit but it also raises money for states who need the money...

[PhilipCal]

Black market

Haven't heard of any black market cigarette trafficking,but it wouldn't surprise me at all. Law of supply and demand ya know.

[sobesupastar]

Before I left NY a year ago, all the smokers I worked with used to buy smokes off a delivery guy for $25 a carton. I don't know the going rate of a carton but I guess it was a "deal."

I'm not sure where the cigarettes came from but I remember someone saying that the labels were little different, no tax packaging? or something.

[AUXOFC74]

Im not a smoker, but i can shed a little light. ciggs, that have no warning label and or no tax label are made in the same place that the ones ya buy at a gas station are, Raliegh Virginia. Except they are being shipped overseas for sale (usually the netherlands, AMsterdam, Holland, etc). where not having such label will not run afoul of any state or federal laws. Some eneterprising people have figured out that to buy american ciggs overseas over the net, in huge quantities and re sell them here on the black market can be fairly profitable. just do a google search for tax free ciggs. you'll find em. Illegal YES, Profitable YES, but apparently to the individuals doing the selling the risk is well worth the reward

[Eastside]

Oh this aint no new thing,
For the UK the area i used to work in London had a huge problem with illegal street cigarette sellers.It was mainly run by E European gangs who would buy cheap copies of cigarettes(marlboro,rothmans etc)which were either chinese made(loaded with woodchip,cardboard and some of my smoking colleagues told me tasted like smoking tree bark) or imported from the US/FRANCE illegally without paying import tax.
The vendors when we stopped them would normally have about

[Sleuth]

Untaxed ciggs in the US are less of a problem than in the EU, but it has been a problem for years. The higher prices increase the problem. Don't forget what the T in ATFE is for. Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives - so who brings the chips?
For many years there has been a problem of ciggs being smuggled into upstate New York through the Indian Reservation from Canada. The greater the price differential, the greater the smuggling problem. Right now, hijacking trucks loaded with ciggs is an ongoing problem.

[Invisiblecop]

There was always a "Black Market" for cigarettes! Since the recent spawning of American Indian Gambling Casino's near the New York Canadian boarder the State Police and Customs official are kept quite busy trying to stem the "illegal" transport of case loads of these cigarettes into New York State. More than "a few" have been caught on the water with various sized water craft trying to bring these "smokes" down stream!

The "Big Hoopla" is the ATF and the Tax Stamp! Nothing more! If the Government ain't "scalpin' us" they feel no one else should cut into their turf!