NEW: Latin America is awash in illegal cigarettes, many of which were made by the world’s biggest tobacco company: #ChinaTobacco
How did they get there? Major suppliers, we reveal, are in Panama.
Our latest with @cuestion_p 🇨🇴 and @ConcolonPanama 🇵🇦 1/ occrp.org/en/loosetobacc…
How did they get there? Major suppliers, we reveal, are in Panama.
Our latest with @cuestion_p 🇨🇴 and @ConcolonPanama 🇵🇦 1/ occrp.org/en/loosetobacc…
Reporters reveal that the China National Tobacco Corporation — a state enterprise known as “China Tobacco” — is connected to a network of Panama-based companies that have shipped huge amounts of its cigarettes to Latin American countries where there is no legal market. 2/ 
Why would a tobacco company want its cigarettes sold on the black market?
It’s a tactic straight from the Big Tobacco playbook: allow your brands to flood illicit markets, then lobby to legalize them. China Tobacco is just following suit, according to experts. 3/
It’s a tactic straight from the Big Tobacco playbook: allow your brands to flood illicit markets, then lobby to legalize them. China Tobacco is just following suit, according to experts. 3/
Overseas United is one of the Panama-based firms we found with ties to China Tobacco.
Panamanian authorities actually revoked the firm’s export permit after its product was found in the country.
But that didn’t stop company executives from sending Chinese cigarettes abroad 👇4/
Panamanian authorities actually revoked the firm’s export permit after its product was found in the country.
But that didn’t stop company executives from sending Chinese cigarettes abroad 👇4/
Two executives at Overseas United also served as directors of Finta Inc.
Finta exported 632+ tons of cigarettes to Belize, Canada, and the US.
It’s main customer was an American duty free shop whose owner was convicted for attempting to smuggle cigarettes into Mexico. 5/
Finta exported 632+ tons of cigarettes to Belize, Canada, and the US.
It’s main customer was an American duty free shop whose owner was convicted for attempting to smuggle cigarettes into Mexico. 5/
This duty free shop also received cigarette shipments directly from Overseas United, as well as another Finta-connected firm: Take Roll.
Two executives at Take Roll — and former "legal representatives" of Finta — also appear in the #PanamaPapers. 6/
Two executives at Take Roll — and former "legal representatives" of Finta — also appear in the #PanamaPapers. 6/
Hundreds of millions of packs have been seized by authorities in Latin America in the past year, indicating that there are far more companies smuggling China Tobacco products in the region than those exposed in this investigation. 7/
This story is one of many in our China Tobacco project.
Follow this page for more: occrp.org/en/loosetobacc…
Follow this page for more: occrp.org/en/loosetobacc…
You can also read this story in @cuestion_p, our Colombian partner 🇨🇴
https://twitter.com/cuestion_p/status/1407362086406180869
And @ConcolonPanama, our Panamanian partner 🇵🇦
https://twitter.com/ConcolonPanama/status/1407347000572628998
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
