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Test purchasers acting on behalf of JTI were able to buy illicit tobacco in 19 out of the 31 stores visited. Packs of illegal cigarettes were on sale for as little as £4.50 – half the price of the cheapest legal product – while counterfeit 50g packs of roll your own could be purchased for as little as £5.00 – around one-fifth of the price of the genuine product.
JTI ran its first test purchasing operation in Bolton in 2018 and found that 62% of stores visited – 23 out of 37 – were selling illicit tobacco, illustrating how ingrained the problem is.
Additional consumer research conducted for JTI also reveals that a quarter of cigarettes and half of roll your own tobacco consumed last year in the North West was not subject to UK taxes, making it one of the highest regions in England for levels of non-UK duty paid consumption.
Ian Howell, UK anti-illicit trade manager at JTI, said: “Selling illegal tobacco damages legitimate business, supports criminal organisations and makes it easier for young people to get hold of tobacco products, and the results from our latest test purchasing shows how entrenched the illegal tobacco trade is in Bolton.
“JTI, along with trading standards, who are often supported by HMRC and the police, is committed to helping tackle the problem of illegal tobacco in the Bolton area. Trading standard’s ‘Keep It Out’ campaign has continued to play its part, alongside recent enforcement action – including the revocation of premises licenses for two Bolton retailers this summer. Law-abiding retailers are at the front line of the fight against illicit tobacco, and therefore we urge any retailer that suspects illegal tobacco is being sold in their area to contact the relevant authorities to help root out these criminals.”
These regional findings follow the recent launch of JTI’s “Postcode Calculator”– a free-to-use online tool, which enables retailers to find out how their local area is affected by illicit tobacco and raise awareness about the damaging impact illicit tobacco has on local communities across the UK.
