Egypt seizes over 64 million smuggled cigarette packs
Egypt seized more than 64 million packs of smuggled cigarettes in May
Egypt said on Monday it seized more than 64 million packs of smuggled cigarettes in May, of which over two million were counterfeit.
The customs authorities at Port Said confiscated about 56 million packs before they could enter the country, the interior ministry said.
At the same port, 5.9 million packs that were being shipped from the United Arab Emirates to Ukraine were also seized.
At the Red Sea port of Ein Sokhna, about 1.1 million counterfeit packs were found before they could enter Egypt.
Another one million counterfeit packs were confiscated by the police at the Suez canal.
The World Health Organization says tobacco control is a major challenge in Egypt, with about 25 percent of adults using tobacco products and 50 percent of Egyptians exposed to secondhand smoke in their own homes.
There is an increasing uptake of tobacco among young women, and an overall rise in the use of water pipes, it says.
The market share of illicit cigarettes in Egypt rose from two percent in 2009 to 19 percent in 2013, the WHO said in a report last year.
Also Read
-
Egypt's president raises cigarette tax
For the third time in a year, Egypt has raised sales taxes on both local and imported cigarettes as it confronts a major budget deficit. Perspective -
Muslim shopkeepers in China ‘forced’ to sell alcohol, cigarettes
Muslim government employees are not allowed to visit mosques or fast during the holy month of Ramadan Variety -
Egypt’s to cigarette maker profit up by 19%
Eastern Co said its nine-month net profit rose by 19.4 percent compared with the same period last year Retail -
Will hash be legalized in Egypt? Debate heats up
Heated debate has ensued since the Cigarettes Dealers Association submitted an official request to legalize hash Analysis -
Egypt raises cigarette tax
A similar move last July raised prices 25 to 40 cents per pack Economy
