So easy to buy an illegal smoke

JUST ASK: AVAILABLE ON STREETS, IN CAFES

Manufacturers deny knowledge of where the stock is coming from.

With Level 4 lockdown in place and the sale of cigarettes prohibited, smokers do not had to search that hard for a fix, as supply has been made available on the black market.

In Cape Town, it took only 4min 28sec to find a pack of cigarettes for sale; another three minutes to find a second and, in under an hour, a carton to buy. The brands? Stix, Derby and Sharp.

In Pretoria, it took only 15 minutes to find a dealer after approaching a man in Mamelodi, who signalled he had cigarettes by placing two fingers on his lips, mimicking taking a drag.

The man offered up five packs of Camel filter and two of Dunhill Courtleigh blend for R60 each and said he could get other cigarettes.

These were the only conventional brands of cigarettes available in Pretoria.

Loose draws were available at R5 a cigarette.

In Pretoria West, a dealer was selling Sharp for R70 a packet.

In the upmarket suburbs in Pretoria East, a local cafe was out of cigarettes, but still sold cigars and snuff at retail prices.

At nonfranchise supermarkets and smaller trading stores, cigarettes were widely available.

But nowhere were cigarettes openly displayed.

For shoppers willing to ask, staff behind the tills paused, assessed the other customers and then asked for a brand preference. These usually numbered just two or three. Some shops offered just one brand.

Boxes of cigarettes were then taken from under the counter. The cost per box ranged from R30 to R45.

In one store, the staff member asked: “Would you like a box or a carton?”

The price was R400 for a carton of 10 boxes of 20 cigarettes. The carton was fetched from a storeroom at the back of the shop, wrapped in newspaper and placed in a packet to hide the contents.

The store would only accept cash.

British American Tobacco (BAT) owns conventional brands such as Camel, Dunhill, Stuyvesant Blue and Pall Mall.

The head of external affairs at British American Tobacco Southern Africa (BATSA), Johnny Moloto, said: “No tobacco products were manufactured and sold by BATSA under the Level 5 lockdown.

“Our factory and supply chain was closed and secured. We have no direct evidence of genuine BAT products being sold illegally. We have not supplied any products to the South African market since the lockdown began.”

Carnilinx, which owns unconventional brands like Shasha and Derby, is also under strict lockdown.

“Carnilinx may have stock by distributors and retailers who may choose to break the law and sell or distribute cigarettes,” it said. “It is not our business to police what they do with products sold and delivered to them before the lockdown.”

But the company warned: “Our biggest concern is counterfeits produced in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Lesotho that are coming into South Africa through the corrupt and porous borders.

“We have given information to the authorities, but they have failed to act.”

The company lashed out at the tobacco ban, saying “11 million smokers have been turned into criminals”.

It said: “Not recognising cigarettes as an essential item is nonsensical, as it is a basic requirement for smokers to live comfortably – just like carbonated drinks, crisps, biscuits, chocolates, hair care products, etc.

“As a South African company, we have abided by all the laws [under duress]. We have had Sars [SA Revenue Service] and Saps [SA Police Service] visit our premises day and night to ensure and enforce compliance and have never been found wanting.”

Asked to comment, Philip Morris South Africa (PMSA) said in a statement: “PMSA has and continues to comply fully with applicable laws, including lockdown regulations, and supports the government’s fight against Covid-19.

“Illicit trade in tobacco costs the South African government an estimated R10 billion per annum in lost taxes according to the South African Revenue Service. Only last month, the under-recovery of tobacco excise was around R300 million,” it said.

“We at PMSA are committed to combat the illicit trade and provide information to the enforcement authorities who are authorised to combat the illicit trade. Obviously, the tobacco industry has no power to seize or confiscate illicit goods.” – News24 Wire

11 million smokers have been turned into criminals R300m in excise revenue lost last month.