• March 19, 2024

Imperial joins battle against Latvian illegal trade

Imperial Tobacco has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Latvian State Revenue Service jointly to tackle the illegal trade in tobacco.

In a note posted on its website, Imperial said that KPMG’s latest Project Sun report had revealed that Latvia had the highest proportion of illegal cigarette trade in the EU last year.

The illegal trade was said to have accounted for more than 29 percent of total consumption and to have deprived Latvia’s treasury of €80 million in tax revenues.

Imperial said the agreement, which was the first to be signed between the Latvian authorities and a tobacco company, created a framework for sharing intelligence and driving effective action against the criminals involved in the trade.

Latvia is a major transit country for illicit tobacco, with significant numbers of Russian and Belarusian products passing through on their way to countries such as the UK and Ireland.

“This Agreement demonstrates Imperial’s continuing commitment to co-operating with global authorities to prevent illegal tobacco products from finding their way onto the legitimate market,” Reimund Ameskamp, Imperial’s general manager Northern Europe, was quoted as saying.

Inara Petersone, director general of the Latvian State Revenue Service and Fedor Zhavaronkov, senior anti-illicit trade manager, Imperial Tobacco, at the signing ceremony.
Inara Petersone, director general of the Latvian State Revenue Service and Fedor Zhavaronkov, senior anti-illicit trade manager, Imperial Tobacco, at the signing ceremony.