Clwyd West Assembly Member Darren Millar AM attended a meeting this week focused on the illegal tabacco trade and tackling illicit tabacco sales in Wales.
Darren, along with his Welsh Conservative Assembly colleagues, met representatives from JTI in the Senedd to discuss the availability of cheap, illegal tobacco in our local communities and how the trade in illegal tobacco products is evolving in Wales.
Speaking after the meeting, Darren said:
“The huge profits from illegal tabacco trade are known to fund serious and organised crime, including terrorism and people trafficking.
“This problem is threatening one in eight corner shops in Wales and across the UK, and, most worryingly, people don’t fully understand the added health risks of this type of tobacco.
“We all have a role to play in helping to combat this crime, however the Welsh Government should be taking a lead role in clamping down on demand for illicit tobacco products via both better public awareness and deterrents.
“The financial rewards of this illicit trade are high; the penalties are low – this needs to change!”