After prostitution and cocaine, “Daily Mail” reveals the new criminal business of Albanians in England

An investigation “Daily Mail” He discovered many pages in TikTok and Facebook in Albanian offering cigarettes from brands for customers in the United Kingdom.

Cigarettes are described as incomes from Albania or Greece and sold for 6 to 7 pounds of boxes, compared to the United Kingdom average of 16 pounds, suggesting they have been smuggled into avoiding tobacco tax and may also be forged.

A account in TikTok and Facebook has operated under a name that translates roughly like the “package of Albanian cigarettes” and offers cigarettes from Greece and Albania for home delivery.

A page in TikTok in Albanian that promotes cheap home delivery cigarettes in the United Kingdom. This particular page was removed after reported to TickTok from Mail.

A Mail journalist was offered packages for 6.50 pounds, compared to 17.75 pounds in British supermarkets.

Ervin Karamucci, professor of criminology at Tirana State University, believes gangs from the country are turning to smoking to increase their incomes.

It is not surprising that, in addition to trafficking in arms and drugs, Albanian criminal organisations are involved in cigarette smuggling into the United Kingdom. Although this activity is not as profitable as drugs, it remains an important source of criminal income”, he told the Mail newspaper.

Professor Karamuco suggested that corrupt customs officials were turning their eyes to illegal tobacco shipments, or were actively organizing them.

Albanian criminals have been involved in cigarette smuggling to the EU for at least 20 years.

Albania is known as a production centre for counterfeit cigarettes, with investigators recently raiding a factory in the town of Librazd. /Tch/