Cuomo puts cigarette smugglers to rest, $1.7 million seized
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced Monday that the new Cigarette Strike Force targeting illegal tobacco trafficking and sales has already seized nearly $1.7 million in cash and contraband that includes 2.7 million cigarettes and cigars in its first six months.
“Cigarette smugglers should be on notice – our administration will not stand for those who break the law and steal from taxpayers,” Governor Cuomo said. “With 36 separate interventions since January, our Cigarette Strike Force is aggressively cracking down on individuals who store, traffic, or sell contraband products. This quick success is a reminder to would-be traffickers that New York has zero tolerance for this illegal activity, and those who further it will be brought to justice.”
Cigarette and tobacco-related seizures by the Strike Force, a unit within the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance’s Criminal Investigations Division, have yielded $1.68 million in contraband and cash, including: