[wanabidii] Press Releases: New Whole-of-Government Effort To Combat the Security Threat of Illicit Tobacco Trade

You are subscribed to Press Releases for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Press Releases: New Whole-of-Government Effort To Combat the Security Threat of Illicit Tobacco Trade 12/03/2015 02:34 PM EST New Whole-of-Government Effort To Combat the Security Threat of Illicit Tobacco Trade Media Note Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC December 3, 2015 This week, in support of the U.S. National Strategy to Combat Transnational Organized Crime, the Department of State launched “The Global Illicit Trade in Tobacco: A Threat to National Security,” a publication outlining the emerging negative impact of the illicit trade in tobacco and the U.S. Government’s efforts to combat it. The illicit trade in tobacco provides a lucrative revenue stream for organized crime and terrorists. Within the United States, the illicit trade deprives governments of tax revenues, causing approximately $3 to $7 billion in tax losses annually to individual states and localities. The publication was released at the December 2nd meeting of the Interagency Working Group (IWG) to Combat Illicit Tobacco, a first-of-its-kind group that promotes a whole of government targeted approach to counter this domestic and international crime. Recognizing the importance of international cooperation, participants from Australia, Canada, Europol, France, Germany, Mexico and the United Kingdom joined representatives from the State Department, Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Health and Human Services, FBI, and other agencies to discuss bolstering cooperation in order to more effectively counter this growing security threat. The IWG was initiated by the U.S. Department of State and first met in January 2015, as a measure to address the rise of illicit tobacco as a major international criminal enterprise. The IWG reconvenes quarterly. For more information please contact INL-PAPD@state.gov or follow INL on Facebook and Twitter. The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department. External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein. Stay connected with the State Department:       External links found in this content or on Department of State websites that go to other non-Department websites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.  Update your subscriptions, modify your password or email address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. You will need to use your email address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please visit subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com. This service is provided to you at no charge by U.S. Department of State. This email was sent to wanabidii@googlegroups.com using GovDelivery, on behalf of: U.S. Department of State · 2201 C Street NW · Washington, DC 20520

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