Europe
Illicit cigarette factories spread across EU as tax losses hit €13bn
European Court of Auditors finds domestic manufacturing has overtaken smuggling, with illegal sites detected in nearly every member state and 8.8% of cigarettes now illicit.
Person
Petri Sarvamaa
Member of the European Court of Auditors responsible for the illicit tobacco report, European Court of Auditors
Coverage 2 articles
Europe
AI helps gangs site illicit cigarette factories across rural Europe, auditors warn
European Court of Auditors report finds criminal networks now use artificial intelligence to locate hidden production sites near consumer markets, expanding a trade that supplied nearly one in ten cigarettes in 2023.