According to a recent survey conducted by AC Nielsen, the illegal cigarette trade in Greece is on the rise, with illegal cigarettes now amounting to 20.8% of total trade, up from 19.5% in 2013.
The survey shows that the vast majority of illegal cigarettes (7 out of 10) are “illicit whites”, namely tobacco products intended for sale in areas where they have no legal distribution. The main illicit white “brands” circulated in Greece are Royal, Golden Mount, Raquel, 777 and RGD.
A SUN Report by KPMG on the illegal cigarette trade showed that 3.9 billion illegal cigarettes were sold in Greece in 2013, compared to about 1 billion in 2009. The report estimates that the trade of illegal cigarettes has resulted in losses of about 565 million euros in taxes.
