Posted on 06/08/2004 5:05:45 AM PDT by general_re
Smugglers with ties to terrorist groups are acquiring millions of dollars from illegal cigarette sales and funneling the cash to organizations such as al Qaeda and Hezbollah, federal law enforcement officials say, prompting a nationwide crackdown on black market tobacco.
The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has more than 300 open cases of illicit cigarette trafficking -- including several with terrorist links -- up from only a handful five years ago, ATF sources said.
"This is a major priority for us," said Michael Bouchard, assistant director of the ATF. "The deeper we dig into these cases, the more ties to terrorism we're discovering."
The lucrative trafficking of cigarettes, known as cigarette diversion, is a simple scheme but difficult to stop, law enforcement officials say. The traffickers purchase a large volume of cigarettes in states where the tax is low, such as Virginia and North Carolina, transport them up Interstate 95 to states such as Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey and then sell them at a discount without paying the higher cigarette taxes in those states.
With huge profits -- and low penalties for arrest and conviction -- illicit cigarette trafficking now has begun to rival drug trafficking as a funding choice for terrorist groups, said William Billingslea, an ATF senior intelligence analyst who has studied the issue extensively.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
In this case, the parents' freedoms are infringing upon the freedoms and health of the children.
Thats not my problem.
Those doing the coercing never think it's their problem. Spoken like a true socialist.
If I can push my tax burden off on you AND get smaller gov't at the same time I call that a win/win.
What do you mean JUST ? I thought I deserve more credit than JUST.
Like Reagan said, a liberal will look at a fat man and a thin man and claim the fat one got that way at the expense of the thin one.
Liquor has a high excise tax which I pay. Coke cans have a 'recycle' fee. Are you willing to have a 'recycle' fee for your cigarette butts?
There is such a thing as child abuse, and it should be illegal, but unless you want parents submitting weekly menus for government approval the burden of proof must be on those who want to intrude on parents' freedoms. I haven't seen proof that the harm from SHS rises to the level of child abuse.
So, I cannot advocate sticking it to smokers as well as getting total reductions ? Both get me lower taxes. I don't see why I have to choose when both can happen at the same time.
Those are very funny.........
I take back my remark - to be honest I thought you were making a reference to my attitude being p'ing in the wind.
That's a good idea. 99% of the items I see thrown out of car windows are cigarette butts.
"Liquor has a high excise tax which I pay. Coke cans have a 'recycle' fee. Are you willing to have a 'recycle' fee for your cigarette butts?"
More growth of government proposed by a "convienent conservative." I propose we eliminate the excise tax on liquor and the "recycle" fee on cans. Would you support these reductions?
I'm surprised I remember some of them after so many years. I still wish I had the membership card and pin, probably worth a fortune on Ebay.
Only one. I drink lots of soda so that should be reduced. We can make up for lost revenues by taxing the booze. I don't drink much.
Not if you want anyone to think you're a conservative.
Advocating "sticking" it to smokers is no different than the class warfare rhetoric of "sticking" it to the rich. Currently about 40-45% of the population "sticks" it to the other members of the population. You desire to be in the segment sticking it to others. Kinda like the left wants to "stick" it to the "rich."
Not only is it wrong, it is evil to desire to "mooch" and it is dishonest to call yourself a conservative when you take the same stance as the left.
Since I rarely drink soda, I suggest we quadruple the recycle fee on it. And impose an excise tax on it, for the chilrun............
if that is the case we should lower taxes on foreign workers and open the borders.
Nah, sticking it to foreigners is what a nation's all about ... not sticking it to each other.
Except someday I will be rich but someday i won't be addicted. If someone is weak enough to allow themselves to be so addicted they will pay whatever tax is applied thats not my problem.
"Would you support these reductions?
Only one. I drink lots of soda so that should be reduced. We can make up for lost revenues by taxing the booze. I don't drink much."
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