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 ...
If its true that additional taxes on cigarettes causes bigger government then if everyone quit tomorrow we would have smaller government.
Yeah, the government goons will find the money somewhere. Smokers just happen to be an easy target.
Does not mean there is an ounce of truth to it. I smoked for 17 years. While others were catching colds every season, it was quite rare for me to even miss so much as a day of work.
Now that I have quit, for just over a year now, my allergies are fuggin' killing me.
Hey VRWC. I think you might be on the wrong board. This is a CONSERVATIVE website. You took a left somewhere.
I'm just explaining economics 101. The lower tax states WILL raise taxes. The conservative ones, if they are smart will match the same tax rates as other states and at the same time lower other taxes so that they state can be more competitve in attracting business.
However, all this will do is drive even more business to the black market.
You've got to complete these equations. Confiscatory taxation is never a good thing. Even with "vice" items like tobacco.
And being one requires understanding human nature. If nonsmokers can lay off the cost of government to a group that can be easily demonized then they will.
I exercise that right myself. If I walk into a bar or restaurant and don't like the smell of the place, I'll go elsewhere.
When every state has the same tax then there is no market to be black. The controls over imports into the state are even greater and so long as the cost of the extra tax is lower than the cost of home growing, then the economics will work against a black market.
I know the roll your own crowd (RYO) thinks they are safe but they too will eventually be taxed at higher rates.
Why don't you go back to smoking??????????
So you agree the 3rd solution to the imbalance is for other states to raise taxes.
"Their own addictions make them slaves to others. If smokers quit then we would have smaller government."
If former Russians would have stopped having children, less people would have suffered by Stalin.
It's a sad day when you place the blame for government growth on individuals shosing to participate in a legal activity. But it's not shocking, it fits your agenda.
"And being one requires understanding human nature. If nonsmokers can lay off the cost of government to a group that can be easily demonized then they will."
Which is the exact reason we don't live in a Democracy. A democracy will always lead to socialism. When the electorate figures out they can steal from one group to improve their lives, with the support of government force, then they will continually vote for bigger government to confiscate more for themselves. Of course, this receives your applause when it fits your agenda.
So there is no black market for illicit drugs? After all, the Feds havea nationwide prohibition on them.
I'm sure the Woddies will be very happy to hear that the black market trade in drugs is just an illusion.
Democracy is evil. When the majority votes it is evil.
But most no-smoking and cig tax laws are passed by elected representatives and the smokers say that they are evil because the do not represent the wishes of the citizens. Strange ...
Economics 101 or not...you are advocating higher taxes and bigger government. You should be advocating that the taxes be lowered and the government shrunk.
The high tax states are the ones that have caused this problem......why should the residents of lowo tax states be the ones forced to fix a problem they did not cause?
Sort of like blaming the victim of a robbery for having more money than the robber thus causing the crime.
Sounds like VA and NC are laughing all the way to the bank at the expense of MD, NY, PA & NJ. I've heard folks suggest VA and NC might want to raise their taxes, I think maybe not.
VA did just raise it's cig tax.....based upon lies of the rat governor....but that is another story.
But the tax will still be far, far lower than MD, NY, PA, and NJ.
That could very well be. I know given enough cigarettes, a rat will keel over. Best thing to do if you're ailing because of smoking, it would be wise to quit. I know I would in a heartbeat, and I've been smoking a pack a day for 65 years.
My son quit cold turkey a few months ago because he thought he was going to die one night. Couldn't catch his breath and was bleeding at the mouth.
Come to find out the blood dripped down to his lungs and clogged him up some while he was sleeping.
The problem quickly resolved itself and has had no further breathing difficulties and lungs x-rayed fine. So he decided to stay smoke-free anyway. The only thing that bothers him now is the smell of smoke, so I smoke out on the front porch under our extremely polluted skies.
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