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Yet another way it may be dangerous to your health
“This is a very serious homeland security issue, one that has gone unnoticed for far too long” -- unnoticed, that is, except at Jihad Watch.
"Cigarette Smugglers Funnel Money to Terror Groups, Report Finds," by Catherine Herridge for FoxNews (thanks to Bill Warner):
WASHINGTON — Cigarette smuggling is generating millions of dollars every year that can be reaching terrorist groups, including Hezbollah, Hamas and Al Qaeda, according to law enforcement sources. In a single case, $100,000 was sent to Hezbollah.A 15-page report congressional report, obtained by FOX News, includes intelligence from law enforcement as well as New York State’s Department of Taxation and Finance.
The report reads in part: Cigarette smuggling is generating millions of dollars every year that can be reaching terrorist groups, including Hezbollah, Hamas and Al Qaeda, according to law enforcement sources. In a single case, $100,000 was sent to Hezbollah.
“This is a very serious homeland security issue, one that has gone unnoticed for far too long,” said Rep. Peter King, (R-N.Y.), the ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee, who called for the investigation.
“Cigarette smugglers are able to generate millions of dollars in illegal profits with a great deal of this wealth being sent to terrorist groups overseas – groups that would like nothing more than to inflict devastating harm on our country and its citizens.” [...]
According to the report, citing federal and New York state law enforcement sources, nearly 60 percent of all convenience retail outlets in New York City are now Arab-owned, primarily families of Lebanese, Yemeni, Jordanian and Palestinian descent. While the vast majority of retailers are operating above board, some are not.
The report says that these retailers can funnel their profits from the sale of cigarettes to terrorist groups in the Mideast. It claims this “tobacco and terror” relationship has been found in a handful of recent cases.
“…the infamous ‘Lackawanna Seven’ reportedly received funding from an individual named Aref Ahmed for their travel from Buffalo to Afghanistan to attend an al Qaeda training camp,” the report says, referring to a group of American-born men of Yemeni descent who pleaded guilty to terror training.
“The State is losing hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue; and given the current budget shortfall, this would seem to be more than enough reason to put the so-called policy of forebearance out of its misery,” King said.
“But this is more than just a matter of lost revenue. It is a matter of national security. Cigarette smuggling in New York State must be brought to an end immediately.”...
Posted by Robert at April 29, 2008 10:42 AM
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Nothing new here, Hizballah's been smuggling cigarettes for profit for years because the cost for getting caught is so small. Let the police and the prosecutors deal with it, we don't need another Federal power grab to in the name of the "War on Terror."
Posted by: longtime lurker![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jihadwatch.org/nav-commenters.gif)
at April 29, 2008 11:11 AM
Yemenites per capita, the worst 'immigration bargain' U.S. ever made with Somalis a close second.
Posted by: poetcomic1 at April 29, 2008 11:19 AM
Are the Akwesasne Mohawks involved in this. There are police reports in Canada, and past experience that this area of Canada and the US is a hotbed of cigarette smuggling.
http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1003432
Posted by: James Martel at April 29, 2008 11:58 AM
I think the Mohawks do it for the Mohawks, not for the muslims.
The FDA really has so much to worry about! All that BC Bud being smuggled in from Canada so people get a nice buzz, and now this!
Posted by: ImNoDhimmi at April 29, 2008 12:40 PM
Turning the tax and excise police loose on these businesses should be a good way to strike at this source of terrorist funding without bringing charges of "racism". Arrest the store-owners and/or managers, jail them and seize their assets; and after they've served their sentence deport them if they're not citizens.
This could be expanded into a general campaign by the IRS and other federal and state tax authorities against various Moslem organizations.
In my own area in the last few years, the tax auditors have closed down a number of restaurants (none of them Moslem-owned or operated) for tax irregularities such as the failure to pay the proper amount of sales tax (state) and failure to pay the proper amount of social security taxes for employees (federal).
at April 29, 2008 12:40 PM
Smuggling? Who's kidding whom? I don't think anyone goes through customs or has to declare his purchases when traveling to the Indian reservations. No one has to hide boxes of cigarettes in the wheel well of a car.
They buy cigarettes in UPSTATE NEW YORK and sell them in NEW YORK CITY. They can do the same by driving to North Carolina, the home of big tobacco, and purchasing in bulk. It's not unique.
In some cases, the report says, a well-organized operation can buy cigarettes tax-free on New York’s Indian reservations and sell them at a great profit in the New Yock [sic] City area, generating up to $300,000 per week with a loss of up to $576 million in tax revenues to New York State.
The biggest problem for New York CITY is the loss of tax revenue it entails. You don't have to be a Muslim to do this. People in New York drive to Pennsylvania or New Jersey when making big purchases so that they can save on the sales tax. How many of them go home and file use tax forms with the city or state?
In this case, the money went to Hezbollah. There are no doubt similar operations run to evade taxes and benefit different groups. It isn't peculiar to the Muslim community.
Tax evasion is tax evasion. Maybe it should be portrayed as such.
at April 29, 2008 12:46 PM
Another reason not to smoke, as if it is needed.
Posted by: tanstaafl at April 29, 2008 12:46 PM
Smuggling? Who's kidding whom? I don't think anyone goes through customs or has to declare his purchases when traveling to the Indian reservations. No one has to hide boxes of cigarettes in the wheel well of a car.
They buy cigarettes in UPSTATE NEW YORK and sell them in NEW YORK CITY. They can do the same by driving to North Carolina, the home of big tobacco, and purchasing in bulk. It's not unique.
In some cases, the report says, a well-organized operation can buy cigarettes tax-free on New York’s Indian reservations and sell them at a great profit in the New Yock [sic] City area, generating up to $300,000 per week with a loss of up to $576 million in tax revenues to New York State.
The biggest problem for New York CITY is the loss of tax revenue it entails. You don't have to be a Muslim to do this. People in New York drive to Pennsylvania or New Jersey when making big purchases so that they can save on the sales tax. How many of them go home and file use tax forms with the city or state?
In this case, the money went to Hezbollah. There are no doubt similar operations run to evade taxes and benefit different groups. It isn't peculiar to the Muslim community.
Tax evasion is tax evasion. Maybe it should be portrayed as such.
at April 29, 2008 12:47 PM
And they said smoking pot was donating to terrorism.
Maybe, but the cigarette donations probably total a whole lot more. I don't see big displays of pot for sale in grocery stores, or convenience stores, but cigarettes they got. And lots of them.
I am forced to buy gas...soon I may be forced to not buy it. But I don't smoke. I only support terrorism by gas, no other way. Soon smokers will run out of smokes anyway as the price will escalate with all delivered goods. That will happen when I am forced not to buy gas. Then only the rich will smoke, or buy gas...the rest of us will be smokeless and gas less, maybe food less, but we won't be supporting terrorism...
at April 29, 2008 1:15 PM
Debbie Schlussel's been on this and other forms of jihad funding, especially food stamp fraud, for ages. You should check with her. She's done a lot of background research on the subject.
Posted by: dm60462 at April 29, 2008 1:48 PM
A train of thought set off by a glance at the headline out of the corner of my eye made it occur to me that this story could spawn considerable Emily Litella-like material. For example:
"What's this I hear about snuggling aiding the jihad? And how on earth did they manage to spend my tax dollars on coming up with a way to study this?"
"For that matter, I don't see what's so great about cigarette snuggling. Honestly, who curls up with a good book and an unopened carton of Salem Lights? Get a kitty cat!"
"...Never mind."
Posted by: MarisolJW at April 29, 2008 2:02 PM
This is an article that was in MY local newspaper:
"...charged by the State Department of Revenue for allegedly selling illegal cigarettes at the store last year."
...."Saleem Butt was paying an unidentified man $20 per carton for cigarettes the man brought from Delaware (I am in PA - T)
"...a revenue agent wrote that Butt had 61 cartons of cigarettes in his store without a PA cigarette stamp on them when the store was searched in October."
"Butt was charged with sale and possession of unstamped cigarettes."
I frequent this store. If he is buying smokes that cheap...he is NOT passing the savings on to customers. Where is all this money going???
Posted by: teebowne at April 29, 2008 4:01 PM
This is exactly what happens when taxes are raised for reasons other than general revenue. Tobacco taxes are supposed to discourage consumption and pay for the effects of useage. It's the purpose of discouraging use that chaps me. A pack of cigarettes is seven dollars in some places, and politicians are surprised when people skirt the law. There is some tea at the bottom of Boston Harbor because of outrageous taxes.
I promise you that if some wiseguy was selling bootleg cigarettes from the trunk of a Cadillac for twenty-five dollars a carton, I would buy and not blink, and that is only about ten dollars less than a carton costs at a discount outlet in Tennessee.
If we are going to use taxes to defray the costs of the societal impact, a honeybun should have a five dollars fat tax.
Posted by: Pelayo at April 29, 2008 4:50 PM
Another reason not to smoke, as if it is needed.
Or a reason to abolish exorbitant tobacco taxes, and thus eliminate the incentive to smuggle from low-tax jurisdictions.
Posted by: Seamus at April 29, 2008 5:45 PM
Only one comment that says the way it really is? All the rest, put down the smoker! The smoker DID NOT create this problem. People that hate smokers and think THEY have the right to tell smokers whether they will be allowed to smoke or not are the people who created this problem. Since us smokers would not listen to these wise people who know whats best for us, you want to blame the smoker. Wake up, get off the kool-aid you are drinking and Blame yourselves!!
Because you hate us so much, you have allowed government to extort humongous and illegal fees from us and ran the cost of cigarettes up so high that you created this smuggling problem. I am with the guy, the one comment that actually factually addressed this problem honestly, if someone pulls up in a Cadillac and has cartons of smokes available for 25.00, I will buy them. Thankfully the smoker haters have only run the costs up in my state to a little over 40.00 a carton. But when the cost in New York has been run up to 75.00 a carton, what do you haters expect??
It is sad that these monies could or even are going to the terrorists - I have always been a full supporter of the War on Terror - but I also am trying to keep my head above water as everything goes up in cost and my wages stay stagnant - and extortion by smoker haters and government have raised smokes from 15.00 to over 40.00 in a few short years, and obviously in New York this extortion should have brough another Boston Tea Party a long time ago.
If government and law enforcement do not want the jihadists to benefit from the smuggling of smokes - perhaps they need to change their minds and make the decision - it is NONE of their business and has NEVER been their business to tell people whether they can smoke or not. The extortion and greed on the raising of money to FORCE smokers to quit is a problem YOU created and now YOU need to change - and NOT the smoker.
You may have been successful in stopping many people from smoking by the massive theft of money from their wallets, but that has ended now - the smokers remaining are the hard core smokers - and we will NOT be told whether we can smoke or not. I am willing to go to corrupt governments gulags to stand up for my RIGHT to smoke.
Now, where I am living, with 40.00 plus cost per carton, it has not got to the point where smuggling is prevalent (and in fact, I have not heard of any at all), but it is right at the edge, and should the cost go up again, I WILL be looking for that guy with his Cadillac trunk full of low cost smokes. Obviously, because the cost is nearly twice per carton in New York compared to here, smuggling and bootleg smokes have now become a problem.
BUT, once again, the smoker did NOT create this problem, the SMOKER HATER and corrupt extortionist government CREATED the problem. If they do not want the jihadist to benefit from this problem, they need to change and change can only occur when they realize they ARE the problem and not the smoker. I do agree that I do not want the jihadist to benefit, but the smoker haters have absolutely busted my budget, and I am tired of paying the price because they have a HATE problem.
Posted by: olderbutwiser? at April 30, 2008 9:36 AM
Only one comment that says the way it really is? All the rest, put down the smoker! The smoker DID NOT create this problem. People that hate smokers and think THEY have the right to tell smokers whether they will be allowed to smoke or not are the people who created this problem. Since us smokers would not listen to these wise people who know whats best for us, you want to blame the smoker. Wake up, get off the kool-aid you are drinking and Blame yourselves!!
Because you hate us so much, you have allowed government to extort humongous and illegal fees from us and ran the cost of cigarettes up so high that you created this smuggling problem. I am with the guy, the one comment that actually factually addressed this problem honestly, if someone pulls up in a Cadillac and has cartons of smokes available for 25.00, I will buy them. Thankfully the smoker haters have only run the costs up in my state to a little over 40.00 a carton. But when the cost in New York has been run up to 75.00 a carton, what do you haters expect??
It is sad that these monies could or even are going to the terrorists - I have always been a full supporter of the War on Terror - but I also am trying to keep my head above water as everything goes up in cost and my wages stay stagnant - and extortion by smoker haters and government have raised smokes from 15.00 to over 40.00 in a few short years, and obviously in New York this extortion should have brough another Boston Tea Party a long time ago.
If government and law enforcement do not want the jihadists to benefit from the smuggling of smokes - perhaps they need to change their minds and make the decision - it is NONE of their business and has NEVER been their business to tell people whether they can smoke or not. The extortion and greed on the raising of money to FORCE smokers to quit is a problem YOU created and now YOU need to change - and NOT the smoker.
You may have been successful in stopping many people from smoking by the massive theft of money from their wallets, but that has ended now - the smokers remaining are the hard core smokers - and we will NOT be told whether we can smoke or not. I am willing to go to corrupt governments gulags to stand up for my RIGHT to smoke.
Now, where I am living, with 40.00 plus cost per carton, it has not got to the point where smuggling is prevalent (and in fact, I have not heard of any at all), but it is right at the edge, and should the cost go up again, I WILL be looking for that guy with his Cadillac trunk full of low cost smokes. Obviously, because the cost is nearly twice per carton in New York compared to here, smuggling and bootleg smokes have now become a problem.
BUT, once again, the smoker did NOT create this problem, the SMOKER HATER and corrupt extortionist government CREATED the problem. If they do not want the jihadist to benefit from this problem, they need to change and change can only occur when they realize they ARE the problem and not the smoker. I do agree that I do not want the jihadist to benefit, but the smoker haters have absolutely busted my budget, and I am tired of paying the price because they have a HATE problem.
Posted by: olderbutwiser? at April 30, 2008 9:36 AM
Only one comment that says the way it really is? All the rest, put down the smoker! The smoker DID NOT create this problem. People that hate smokers and think THEY have the right to tell smokers whether they will be allowed to smoke or not are the people who created this problem. Since us smokers would not listen to these wise people who know whats best for us, you want to blame the smoker. Wake up, get off the kool-aid you are drinking and Blame yourselves!!
Because you hate us so much, you have allowed government to extort humongous and illegal fees from us and ran the cost of cigarettes up so high that you created this smuggling problem. I am with the guy, the one comment that actually factually addressed this problem honestly, if someone pulls up in a Cadillac and has cartons of smokes available for 25.00, I will buy them. Thankfully the smoker haters have only run the costs up in my state to a little over 40.00 a carton. But when the cost in New York has been run up to 75.00 a carton, what do you haters expect??
It is sad that these monies could or even are going to the terrorists - I have always been a full supporter of the War on Terror - but I also am trying to keep my head above water as everything goes up in cost and my wages stay stagnant - and extortion by smoker haters and government have raised smokes from 15.00 to over 40.00 in a few short years, and obviously in New York this extortion should have brough another Boston Tea Party a long time ago.
If government and law enforcement do not want the jihadists to benefit from the smuggling of smokes - perhaps they need to change their minds and make the decision - it is NONE of their business and has NEVER been their business to tell people whether they can smoke or not. The extortion and greed on the raising of money to FORCE smokers to quit is a problem YOU created and now YOU need to change - and NOT the smoker.
You may have been successful in stopping many people from smoking by the massive theft of money from their wallets, but that has ended now - the smokers remaining are the hard core smokers - and we will NOT be told whether we can smoke or not. I am willing to go to corrupt governments gulags to stand up for my RIGHT to smoke.
Now, where I am living, with 40.00 plus cost per carton, it has not got to the point where smuggling is prevalent (and in fact, I have not heard of any at all), but it is right at the edge, and should the cost go up again, I WILL be looking for that guy with his Cadillac trunk full of low cost smokes. Obviously, because the cost is nearly twice per carton in New York compared to here, smuggling and bootleg smokes have now become a problem.
BUT, once again, the smoker did NOT create this problem, the SMOKER HATER and corrupt extortionist government CREATED the problem. If they do not want the jihadist to benefit from this problem, they need to change and change can only occur when they realize they ARE the problem and not the smoker. I do agree that I do not want the jihadist to benefit, but the smoker haters have absolutely busted my budget, and I am tired of paying the price because they have a HATE problem.
Posted by: olderbutwiser? at April 30, 2008 9:37 AM
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