Legal Handbook Series Tobacco EN web (PDF)

Legal Handbook

WWW.INTERPOL.INT

Countering Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products

INTERPOL General Secretariat
Office of Legal Affairs
200 quai Charles de Gaulle
69006 Lyon
France
Tel. : +33 4 72 44 70 32
Fax : +33 4 72 44 73 38
Email: webla@interpol.int

OFFICE OF LEGAL AFFAIRS

COUNTERING ILLICIT TRADE IN
TOBACCO PRODUCTS
A GUIDE FOR POLICY-MAKERS

Legal Handbook Series

COUNTERING
ILLICIT TRADE IN TOBACCO PRODUCTS:
A GUIDE FOR POLICY-MAKERS

Legal Handbook Series

© International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO) – INTERPOL, June 2014. All rights reserved.
The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the
expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of INTERPOL concerning the legal status of any country,
territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
The designations of country groups are intended solely for statistical or analytical convenience and do not
necessarily express a judgment about a particular country or area.
Reference to names of firms and commercial products and processes does not imply their endorsement
by INTERPOL, and any failure to mention a particular firm, commercial product or process is not a sign of
disapproval.
All reasonable precautions have been taken by INTERPOL to verify the information contained in this
publication. However, the published material is being distributed without warranty of any kind, either
expressed or implied. The responsibility for the interpretation and use of the material lies with the
reader. In no event shall INTERPOL be liable for damages arising from its use.
INTERPOL takes no responsibility for the continued accuracy of that information or for the content of any
external website.

Legal Handbook Series
International police and judicial cooperation requires innovative
legal solutions to ensure it can effectively respond to the
challenges of the twenty-first century.
In the context of INTERPOL’s programmes and initiatives, the
Legal Handbook Series intends to provide policy-makers and the
law enforcement community worldwide with practical and userfriendly tools covering the legal aspects of various crime
problems.
With the objective to provide the most up-to-date information on
legal developments, the handbooks are elaborated in partnership
with international organizations, academic institutions and the
private sector. They aim to complement existing manuals and
publications by improving the understanding of key concepts,
informing about current trends and offering advice in line with
international legal standards and requirements.

Foreword
Illicit trade in tobacco products (ITTP) is a global occurrence, affecting all regions and countries. It
holds an allure for criminals to engage in it as tobacco products are light, small, easy to transport and
to conceal. Tobacco is one of the most smuggled commodities in the world, allowing offenders to
amass huge profits. Further, penalties are often not sufficient to act as a deterrent.
Illicit trade in tobacco products has negative and harmful consequences for countries at many levels.
It affects consumers’ health, reduces States’ budgets, creates unfair competition for legitimate
businesses, and feeds organized criminal groups who channel the profits obtained into other illegal
activities.
This handbook aims to offer the first comprehensive legal analysis of the international legal
framework against the ITTP. It provides guidance to policy-makers and law enforcement authorities
on the implementation of key international instruments in the field, with an emphasis on the new
Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products.
The ITTP holds many challenges for governments. One of the biggest is the involvement of organized
criminal networks which employ increasingly sophisticated and varied methods to counterfeit and
smuggle products. INTERPOL recognizes this as a growing issue threatening the security of States. A
joint and coordinated effort is needed to find and implement lasting solutions to this multi-faceted
problem.

Joël Sollier
General Counsel, INTERPOL

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Acknowledgments
INTERPOL wishes to thank the following contributors for having provided most useful comments and
input during the preparation of this handbook:



Robert Preece
Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Canberra Associate Senior Lecturer, Centre for
Customs & Excise Studies, Charles Sturt University



Ernesto U. Savona
Director of Transcrime (Joint Research Centre on Transnational Crime)
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Milano - Università degli Studi di Trento and
Professor of Criminology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Milano

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