U.S. raid targets smuggled smokes

Washington Times ^ | 1/29/04 | Jerry Seper

[kattracks]

A 92-count federal grand jury indictment was unsealed yesterday in Texas, naming a ring of suspected smugglers who schemed to transport more than $37 million in bootleg cigarettes throughout the United States.

Ten persons were arrested by agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during raids yesterday in Texas, New Mexico, New York, Florida and California. The ongoing undercover investigation has resulted, so far, in the seizure of $18 million in counterfeit and genuine cigarettes smuggled into the country.

[kattracks]

ping

[bandleader]

If cigarettes(tobacco products)are deemed to be so dangerous to the health of people,the HYPOCRITES in The United States Government should prohibit the manufacture and sale of same!They won't do this because of the lost REVENUE to HYPOCRISY!!!!!!Enough Already!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[an amused spectator]

revenue enhancement bump

[Dead Corpse]

We need a War on Tobacco! We must spare no expense in keeping this devil leaf away from our women and children. We need "no-knock" raids on their smoky dens of sin. Asset forfieture laws for anyone dealing in this deadly drug. Drug testing for nicotine in our schools and mandatory sentancing for anyone dealing or using tobacco. Websites showing how to grow nad dry tobacco must be shut down and censored heavily for the public good. Hell, we don't even need to add another letter to the BATFE as it is already in there! A fiscal savings as we won't need to re-do all those badges and stationary!

(/heavy sarcasm)

[SheLion]

[CSM]

What is a counterfeit cigarette?

[SheLion]

The professional Anti-Smokers are CHOKING the ECONOMY!!

[Madame Dufarge]

I'm not sure, but I think they had counterfeit tax stamps on them.

[CDHart]

Just like Prohibition, IMO, and will be about as successful as Prohibition and the WOD.

Carolyn

[Dead Corpse]

It isn't about prohibition or some ephemeral "public good". It is about CONTROL. Their control over you. Period.

[lockjaw02]

I guess the war on drugs wasn't producing enough business for the lawyer, courts, and prison industry, so they had to create a new class of "criminal". Tobacco is "legal", but anyone trying to peddle it without giving the "customary" 80% "gratuity" to the state pisses em off. It's 20% of the profit for you and 80% for them for kindly allowing you to do business, or it's off to the hoosegow with ya.

[Great Dane]

Unwanted, unintended result of greed.

[Bogey]

ICE Assistant Secretary Michael J. Garcia said the smugglers are believed to have cheated the federal government, as well as three state governments, out of $8 million in tax revenue, while reaping enormous profits. He called the probe the largest investigation to date involving cigarette smuggling.
"Cigarette smuggling costs the United States more than a billion dollars in lost revenue every year,

---

Losing a billion a year and these yoyo's recouped in "their biggest investigation on smuggling" a paultry 8 million.
I don't think these clowns are going to deter anyone.

[Great Dane]

Losing a billion a year and these yoyo's recouped in "their biggest investigation on smuggling" a paultry 8 million. I don't think these clowns are going to deter anyone.

Agreed, they have been fighting drug-smuggling for what... 40 years, spent billions upon billions, and still only catches 2%.

[KingNo155]

A cigarrette made to look like a name brand cigarette bearing that brands name and package.

[KingNo155]

As Madame Dufarge also said in post #9 Tax stamps are also counterfeited to avoid paying the tax.

[Just another Joe]

ICE Assistant Secretary Michael J. Garcia said the smugglers are believed to have cheated the federal government, as well as three state governments

To all us self stuffers, we are cheating the government out of their tax dollars.
The ICE man cometh.....Beware.