Illegal cigarettes

It’s not only smokers who’ll remember the illegal cigarette trade that flourished during the COVID-19 lockdowns. But what you might not realise is that the trade in illicit cigarettes has been flourishing for much longer than the last five years. In fact, illicit sales account for over 30% of the cigarette market. But where are the cigarettes coming from, and how are they flooding our economy in such numbers? It’s an old story of poor enforcement and porous borders – but on the ground, it looks a lot more like all-out warfare. Macfarlane travelled to Musina to trace the trade that’s costing the country billions. For the full story, get DStv Stream Premium: https://bit.ly/DStv-Stream