Black market sale of fake cigarettes is booming, study finds

A boom in the black-market sale of fake cigarettes could be funding organised crime gangs in the UK.

New figures show 11 out of 12 regions are reporting an increase in the illicit trade such compared to the previous 12 months, with Scotland seeing a rise of more than 20 per cent in a single year.

While Northern Ireland and the South East of England had seen rises of 15.9 per cent and 14.5 per cent respectively.

The report also revealed the UK is ranked third out of 38 countries when it comes to volume of illicit tobacco products – with one in four smoked said to be contraband.

While London has seen a surge of 109 per cent since 2020, according to the data commissioned by Philip Morris International via KPMG.

Former Scotland Yard detective, Will O’Reilly, revealed undercover operatives had visited 60 retailers in the capital and more than half were openly selling harmful and unregulated smoking products.