🚬Contraband tobacco is estimated to be a billion-dollar industry in Ontario alone.
💰Criminal gangs and organized crime networks are heavily involved in the smuggling of cheap cigarettes.
🌐The tobacco comes from various sources, including China, India, and Pakistan.
🌍The illicit tobacco trade has global connections, with smuggling routes across borders.
⚖️Law enforcement agencies are struggling to combat the lucrative trade due to its complexity and involvement of organized crime.
How big is the contraband tobacco industry?
—In Ontario alone, the industry is estimated to be worth about a billion dollars a year.
Who is involved in the smuggling of contraband tobacco?
—Criminal gangs and organized crime networks play a major role in the smuggling operation.
Where does the contraband tobacco come from?
—The tobacco comes from various countries, including China, India, and Pakistan.
Why is it difficult to stop the illicit tobacco trade?
—The trade involves complex networks and the involvement of organized crime, making it challenging for law enforcement agencies to combat.
What are the risks faced by farmers and First Nations communities?
—Farmers and First Nations communities may be approached by criminals and offered money to divert their tobacco crops to the black market.
00:10Contraband smokes generate millions of dollars each day through illegal sales.
00:35The contraband tobacco industry in Ontario is estimated to be worth about a billion dollars a year.
02:27Smuggled tax-free cigarettes are sold on First Nations reserves, attracting non-indigenous customers.
04:18Farmers are approached by shady characters and offered more money to divert their tobacco crops to the black market.
06:01Organized crime, including gangs and networks, is heavily involved in smuggling cheap cigarettes.
09:12Law enforcement agencies struggle to combat the illicit trade due to its complexity and involvement of organized crime.
12:56The majority of tobacco supplying Canada's contraband market comes from outside the country, shipped in from China, India, and Pakistan.
14:56Non-indigenous customers buying cheap tax-free cigarettes on reserves may resell or give them away to family and friends.
