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Cigarettes from Guyana smuggled to US – report says
— dozens arrested in crackdown
New York (MMD Newswire) – A three-month investigation led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) into the smuggling of cigarettes from overseas, through John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport, has resulted in the arrest of a dozen individuals who have been charged with state tax violations and falsified business records.
Guyana was named as one of the countries in which the cigarettes were smuggled from.
US authorities have arrested several for smuggling cigarettes there.
In addition to the criminal charges, law enforcement authorities have seized more than 4,000 cartons of untaxed cigarettes, 22,000 untaxed cigars and nearly US$400,000 in cash and property in the past three months.
The investigation dubbed “Operation Smokeout” revealed that the bootleg cigarettes and cigars were coming primarily from China, South Korea, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Haiti and Guyana.
“This investigation targeted individuals who were bringing thousands of cigarettes from overseas with the intent of reselling them right here in New York City. No reporting, no taxes, no customs duties, just pure profit from the smuggler’s perspective,” said Mona Forman, deputy special agent in charge of ICE HSI in New York.
“Cigarette smuggling can be a lucrative enterprise with the illicit proceeds used to fund other criminal behaviour. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to dismantle organizations behind this illegal activity.”
“Cigarette smuggling to evade state and local taxes is a multi-million dollar industry. It is a highly profitable tax-free cash business for those involved in it. However, it cheats taxpayers who must dip into their pockets to pay higher taxes,” said Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown, whose office is prosecuting the cases.
“It cheats the government as well by fueling an underground economy which does not pay much needed State and City taxes. In today’s cases, it is estimated that the twelve defendants shortchanged New York State and New York City out of approximately US$270,000 in tax revenue.”
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