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Smuggled cigarettes from Myanmar fl



Subject: Smuggled cigarettes from Myanmar flood market

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Smuggled cigarettes from Myanmar flood market

Distribution centre set up near border!

By Staff Correspondent


Smuggled 'LONDON' brand cigarettes from Myanmar have flooded the market =
causing losses of crores of taka to the national exchequer and local =
cigarette companies.=20

With a very efficient underground distribution network, the =
comparatively cheaper cigarettes have reached markets in remote parts of =
the country, forcing local companies to slash prices amid plummeting =
sales.=20


Most of the smuggling is done through Teknaf by road and through sea =
ports under the cover of bilateral border trade with Myanmar, official =
sources and cigarette manufacturers said.=20


Manufacturer of 'LONDON' brand cigarettes, the Rothmans of Pall Mall =
Myanmar Private Ltd, opened a huge distribution centre close to =
Bangladesh border last year, sources in local companies claimed.=20


During a visit to wholesale markets at New Market and Chawk Bazar =
yesterday, traders told this correspondent that they could supply 'any =
quantity' of this cigarette any time. Many of them nodded when this =
correspondent asked whether they could supply 500 cartoons from ready =
stock.=20


The price of each cartoon (200 sticks) of LONDON was between Tk 220 and =
270 in the wholesale market. The wholesalers said 'parties' deliver the =
cigarettes at their shops. They declined to name the 'parties' or =
persons behind the smuggling, but hinted that there were warehouses in =
Chittagong, Dhaka, Rajshahi and Khulna.=20


"LONDON is a hot business now and it is greatly affecting sale of local =
cigarettes whose prices are between Tk 1 and Tk 2 per stick," said a =
wholeseller at Chawk Bazar.=20


British America Tobacco (BAT), the highest tax payer among local tobacco =
companies with a payment record of Tk 980 crore in the last financial =
year, has cut prices of two of its popular brands by nearly Tk 10 each. =
A BAT official said they were forced to slash prices as sales fell =
sharply after 'invasion' of the market by 'LONDON' brand cigarettes.=20


"Consequences of this unabated illegal trade will be severe on the =
national exchequer which gets about Tk 1,300 crore in revenue from =
tobacco industries," said a BAT official.=20


Many other smuggled brands are in the market but nobody has ever =
witnessed such a large scale and systematic smuggling of a particular =
brand of cigarettes, some other BAT officials said.=20


When contacted, commerce ministry sources said they have identified =
Teknaf as the smuggling route and directed the authorities concerned to =
take measures to stop it.=20


"Few individuals are depriving the country of crores of taka in revenue =
right under the nose of so many government agencies whose responsibility =
is to check smuggling," said an official concerned hinting at their =
(government agencies) alleged inaction.=20







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<DIV><FONT size=3D2>
<CENTER><FONT color=3D#400000 size=3D+2>Smuggled cigarettes from Myanmar =
flood=20
market</FONT><BR></CENTER>
<CENTER><FONT color=3D#008000 size=3D+1>Distribution centre set up near=20
border!</FONT><BR></CENTER>
<CENTER><FONT color=3D#004080 size=3D+0><I>By Staff=20
Correspondent</FONT></I><BR><BR></CENTER>Smuggled 'LONDON' brand =
cigarettes from=20
Myanmar have flooded the market causing losses of crores of taka to the =
national=20
exchequer and local cigarette companies.=20
<P>
<P>With a very efficient underground distribution network, the =
comparatively=20
cheaper cigarettes have reached markets in remote parts of the country, =
forcing=20
local companies to slash prices amid plummeting sales.=20
<P>
<P>Most of the smuggling is done through Teknaf by road and through sea =
ports=20
under the cover of bilateral border trade with Myanmar, official sources =
and=20
cigarette manufacturers said.=20
<P>
<P>Manufacturer of 'LONDON' brand cigarettes, the Rothmans of Pall Mall =
Myanmar=20
Private Ltd, opened a huge distribution centre close to Bangladesh =
border last=20
year, sources in local companies claimed.=20
<P>
<P>During a visit to wholesale markets at New Market and Chawk Bazar =
yesterday,=20
traders told this correspondent that they could supply 'any quantity' of =
this=20
cigarette any time. Many of them nodded when this correspondent asked =
whether=20
they could supply 500 cartoons from ready stock.=20
<P>
<P>The price of each cartoon (200 sticks) of LONDON was between Tk 220 =
and 270=20
in the wholesale market. The wholesalers said 'parties' deliver the =
cigarettes=20
at their shops. They declined to name the 'parties' or persons behind =
the=20
smuggling, but hinted that there were warehouses in Chittagong, Dhaka, =
Rajshahi=20
and Khulna.=20
<P>
<P>"LONDON is a hot business now and it is greatly affecting sale of =
local=20
cigarettes whose prices are between Tk 1 and Tk 2 per stick," said a =
wholeseller=20
at Chawk Bazar.=20
<P>
<P>British America Tobacco (BAT), the highest tax payer among local =
tobacco=20
companies with a payment record of Tk 980 crore in the last financial =
year, has=20
cut prices of two of its popular brands by nearly Tk 10 each. A BAT =
official=20
said they were forced to slash prices as sales fell sharply after =
'invasion' of=20
the market by 'LONDON' brand cigarettes.=20
<P>
<P>"Consequences of this unabated illegal trade will be severe on the =
national=20
exchequer which gets about Tk 1,300 crore in revenue from tobacco =
industries,"=20
said a BAT official.=20
<P>
<P>Many other smuggled brands are in the market but nobody has ever =
witnessed=20
such a large scale and systematic smuggling of a particular brand of =
cigarettes,=20
some other BAT officials said.=20
<P>
<P>When contacted, commerce ministry sources said they have identified =
Teknaf as=20
the smuggling route and directed the authorities concerned to take =
measures to=20
stop it.=20
<P>
<P>"Few individuals are depriving the country of crores of taka in =
revenue right=20
under the nose of so many government agencies whose responsibility is to =
check=20
smuggling," said an official concerned hinting at their (government =
agencies)=20
alleged inaction.=20
<P>
<P>
<P><BR></P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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