Illegal cig trade threatens shops

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/6947272.stm

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Newsagents and retailers in Northern Ireland are among the worst affected by the illegal tobacco trade in the UK.

Campaign group Retailers Against Smuggling estimates that the average newsagent loses £20,000 in sales yearly through smuggling and counterfeiting.

The group said one in five newsagents faced closure over the problem.

Smokers who buy cheap cigarettes have been warned that they are not only funding criminal gangs but they are breaking the law themselves.

A spokesperson for Retailers Against Smuggling claimed illegal cigarettes were offered for sale at bars, car-boot sales and on the streets at half of their true retail price.

"Many smokers who can't resist a bargain don't realise they are breaking the law simply by buying from illegal vendors," the spokesperson said.

"And people who bring cigarettes into the country without paying UK duty and then sell the cigarettes, face a jail term and an unlimited fine."