Toxic fags being sold in Wolverhampton for 40p

Dec 6 2009 by Adam Aspinall, Sunday Mercury

‘‘They are so cheap and because of that nobody is saying no when they are offered them.

‘‘But I really fear what they could do to people’s health as there could be anything in them.’’

Earlier this year, the World Health Organisation issued a warning after the emergence of Jin Ling cigarettes in other European countries.

Spokesman Luk Joossens said: “Jin Ling is the most disturbing new development anywhere in the world in the illegal tobacco trade.

“They are flooding into Europe.”

The cigarettes are believed to be manufactured at a shadowy firm called Baltic Tobacco Company, based in Kaliningrad, which allegedly then sells them by the container-load to smugglers – at just 20 US cents a packet.

Smuggled Jin Ling, resembling the US Camel brand in appearance, have been sold across Europe and packets have been recently seized in the West Midlands, including Chelmsley Wood, as well as Heanor in Derbyshire.

In July, HM Revenue & Customs officers seized 170,000 bootleg cigarettes from a Walsall house during a raid.

The stash, which had been hidden under floorboards, included Jin Ling and other smuggled brands including L&M Red, Raquel, and fake Marlboro, which would have cost the public purse in excess of £27,000 if sold on.

In total customs officers have seized 320 million of the illicit brands in the last year across the UK.

Last night, HMRC spokeswoman Jennie Kendall warned the public against the cut-price Jin Ling. She said: “The cigarettes are effectively made purely for smuggling and are often obtained in large quantities by organised crime gangs. They smuggle them into the UK where they are sold illegally in residential areas, pubs and clubs, workplaces and some small independent retail shops.

“The people who sell these cigarettes are not concerned with how or where they are produced, or even who buys and smokes them, including young children and teenagers.

“They are only interested in the profits they make, which are usually ploughed straight back into criminal activity.”

Anyone with any information should call the Customs Hotline on 0800 59 5000 or email customs.hotline@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk