I crunched the numbers once a few years ago and figured that a MI tobacco smuggler could drive to a N Kentucky Indian Rez once a week in a small car and make over $1200 a week after expenses. Round trip in less than 8 hrs.
And that was still selling them for half the going price.
I’ll bet someone in NY could make $5,000 a week today.
Back in the 60s I worked at an auto plant in NE Ohio. There were always guys selling trunkfulls of low tax Ky cigs, and the savings was probably 5 cents a pack, LOL.
http://money.cnn.com/2013/04/16/news/economy/cigarette-smuggling/
The lucrative business of cigarette smuggling
Wanna make a quick $1,944,000? Buy a truckload of cigarettes in Virginia and sell them in New York.
:)