Smoke and Mirrors

This contribution describes, building on ethnographic data, how illegal tobacco trade in Europe is organised and how law enforcement praxis in different EU countries impacts on this trade. With a (still) substantial demand for cheap cigarettes, low moral objections, favourable trade conditions, enhanced technology and relatively high profits and low risks, illegal tobacco trade is a profitable business opportunity. Organised in a networked structure and with a fragmented, specialised production process (increasingly located in West Europe) it has the flexibility to rather effectively evade law enforcement. The shift from big bulk smuggling in containers or trucks, to smaller quantities smuggle through diverse means of transport, and a use of up-to-date communication and surveillance technology help avoiding detection by authorities. Internet and postal order services are increasingly used for the distribution of cigarettes, further diminishing the chances of detection. On the law enforcement side, notwithstanding increasing cooperation among EU member states, some countries’ emphasis on confiscating illegal goods (instead of dismantling criminal networks), inter-agency rivalries (within and among EU member states), legal voids, practical obstacles, and insufficient knowledge on new developments are reported to frustrate international cooperation, preventing authorities from effectively moving in on organised groups in the illegal tobacco trade.