NCJ Number
230765
Date Published
2010
Length
23 pages
Annotation
This chapter explores the potential for situational crime prevention to curb the smuggling and illicit distribution of cigarettes and presents as an example, the situation in Germany during the 1990s.
Abstract
The illegal cigarette trade is primarily a form of tax evasion where suppliers and consumers of cigarettes attempt to circumvent the taxation of cigarettes. This chapter explores the problem of illegal trafficking in cigarettes from a crime prevention perspective. It presents the situation in Germany in the 1990s as an example of successful use of crime prevention techniques in fighting the illegal cigarette trade. The analysis looks at the illegal activities taking place in particular situational settings in the cigarette black market. The analysis begins with an overview of the main characteristics of the illegal cigarette market in Western Europe. This is followed by a detailed analysis of small-scale smuggling and open retail selling in Germany. The analysis found that the use of situational crime prevention techniques were more successful at crime prevention when the illegal cigarette market was broken down into smaller situations. Notes and references