Albița, November 5, 2015 - the second wave of the "Appearances are deceiving" public campaign to raise awareness about the negative effects of cigarette smuggling was launched today at the most important border point in the Eastern part of the European Union. The campaign was initiated by Euromonitor Business Consulting Services, via www.faracontrabanda.ro, in partnership with the General Directorate of Customs from the National Agency of Fiscal Administration and the Romanian Police, with support from JTI.

Carried out in the first part of the year in 16 counties situated along the Western, South-Western, Northern and North-Eastern borders, the campaign has been relaunched in the North-East, the region most affected by cigarette smuggling. In the North-East, the illicit cigarette trade made up 31.4% of the market in September, the highest level in the country and more than double the national average of 14.8%.

According to studies carried out by Novel Research, in January 2015 smuggled cigarettes reached their highest level in the past four years, at 19.2% nationally. Novel Research has been monitoring levels of cigarette smuggling since 2008, and the highest recorded percentage share of the market so far was 36.3%, in January 2010.

"The current cigarette smuggling level in the North-East, 31.4%, is approaching the historical record of 2010. Over 60% of the cigarettes illegally traded in this region are cheap whites, no-name brands which entered the market via Hungary, Ukraine or Moldova, and which are increasing alarmingly ", said Marian Marcu, General Manager of Novel Research.

"The banner of the new campaign maintains the idea of duality, hypocrisy and deception. Poor people who sell smuggled cigarettes seem to belong to the same social category as the buyers looking for the smallest price. Actually, sellers represent the last link of organized crime networks that make huge illegal profits at the expense of naive consumers.

Albița, November 5, 2015 - the second wave of the "Appearances are deceiving" public campaign to raise awareness about the negative effects of cigarette smuggling was launched today at the most important border point in the Eastern part of the European Union. The campaign was initiated by Euromonitor Business Consulting Services, via www.faracontrabanda.ro, in partnership with the General Directorate of Customs from the National Agency of Fiscal Administration and the Romanian Police, with support from JTI.

Carried out in the first part of the year in 16 counties situated along the Western, South-Western, Northern and North-Eastern borders, the campaign has been relaunched in the North-East, the region most affected by cigarette smuggling. In the North-East, the illicit cigarette trade made up 31.4% of the market in September, the highest level in the country and more than double the national average of 14.8%.

According to studies carried out by Novel Research, in January 2015 smuggled cigarettes reached their highest level in the past four years, at 19.2% nationally. Novel Research has been monitoring levels of cigarette smuggling since 2008, and the highest recorded percentage share of the market so far was 36.3%, in January 2010.

"The current cigarette smuggling level in the North-East, 31.4%, is approaching the historical record of 2010. Over 60% of the cigarettes illegally traded in this region are cheap whites, no-name brands which entered the market via Hungary, Ukraine or Moldova, and which are increasing alarmingly ", said Marian Marcu, General Manager of Novel Research.

"The banner of the new campaign maintains the idea of duality, hypocrisy and deception. Poor people who sell smuggled cigarettes seem to belong to the same social category as the buyers looking for the smallest price. Actually, sellers represent the last link of organized crime networks that make huge illegal profits at the expense of naive consumers.