A transnational conference led by the Australian Border Force (ABF) will be held in Singapore. Where customs officials from 20 Asia-Pacific countries will work together to combat the illicit cigarette trade through international cooperation to tackle the global problem.
The Australian Border Agency leads the G20 multinational meeting
According to a Sept. 3 report by Mirage News, 20 customs officials from Asia-Pacific countries will take part in an Australian Border Force (ABF)-led conference in Singapore over the next two days to warn transnational crime syndicates about the illegal cigarette trade.
Ken McKern. ABF Commanding Officer (Ken McKern) He said the illegal cigarette trade is a problem that transcends national boundaries and needs to be tackled together.
- “The global trade in illicit cigarettes has diverted billions of dollars in tax revenues that governments could use for health care, education, and other essential community services, as well as funding transnational crime, corruption, and terrorist organizations. This trade is both domestic and international and requires cooperation at all levels to combat.”
- “In 2024, the Asia-Pacific Illicit Cigarettes Initiative will relaunch a regional operation against illicit cigarettes based on previous successful activities. This operation will also generate additional information and messages from global customs partners to enable the ABF and Australian partners to continue to combat and prosecute offenders involved in the importation and supply of illicit cigarettes.”
Join forces to combat the illicit tobacco trade
Erin Dale, Illicit Tobacco, and Electronic Tobacco in Australia (ITEC) Agent, she said her priority was to tackle the problem of illicit cigarettes at source, avoiding and stopping these products from entering Australia.
- “International cooperation is particularly important to Australia’s efforts to combat illicit cigarettes to ensure our policies are understood globally. I appreciate the ABF’s efforts in facilitating this first action.”
Representatives from Bangladesh. Bhutan. Brunei. Cambodia.Hong Kong, China. India. Indonesia. Japan. Malaysia. Nepal. New Zealand. Papua. New Guinea. China. Singapore. Solomon Islands. Sri Lanka. Thailand. Vanuatu. and Vietnam will participate in the event.
The event will be held on September 3-4, 2024 in Singapore.
