The national "Smuggling is organized crime!" campaign, to raise awareness about the harmfulness of the phenomenon, was launched on September 17th in Giurgiu, at a press conference attended by Eugen Teodorovici, the Minister for Finance.

The campaign is carried out in partnership with ANAF (the National Agency for Fiscal Administration), the General Directorate of Customs, the Border Police, the Romanian Police, and with support from JTI Romania, via www.faracontrabanda.ro, and took place throughout September and October across border counties, which are those most affected by illicit trade, as well as in Bucharest. The campaign was carried out on national and regional television, via street banners in border areas, in airports and metro stations, and online. It is the eighth public anti-smuggling campaign of this type. Additional materials and information can be found on www.faracontrabanda.ro and www.facebook.com/faracontrabanda.ro

On the occasion of its launch, JTI Romania announced it will continue to support canine teams, under its 2005 Collaboration Protocol which started with ANAF and later extended to the customs service. Hence, 11 more dogs will be trained at the Giurgiu Training Center for Canine Teams, which trains dogs to detect cigarettes, drugs and money. The mobile canine teams, consisting of a Customs Agent and a dog, are active in all border points across the country and are part of the DGV’s resources for combating cigarette smuggling, drug dealing and tax evasion.

Since 2010, JTI Romania has supported the training of over 50 canine teams by donating dogs, food and equipment to the Customs Authority.

The value of goods seized by the DGV canine teams, as well as the fines levied between 2013 and the first semester of 2019, exceeds 40 million RON. Between 2018 and 2019 (1st semester) alone, the canine teams seized goods and levied fines valued at over 10.3 million RON.

According to Novel Research, in July 2019 the black market in tobacco products made up 13.7% of total consumption. Illicit cigarette trade costs the state around half a billion euros per year in lost revenue