SOUTH AFRICA’S ILLICIT TOBACCO CRISIS: A battle still far from won
By Sitha Maliwa:
Stefano Betti, Deputy Director General of the Transnational Alliance to Combat Illicit Trade
South Africa is waging a war against illicit tobacco, but experts warn the fight is far from over. Stefano Betti, Deputy Director General of the Transnational Alliance to Combat Illicit Trade (TRACIT), has sounded the alarm, describing the country’s struggle as “deeply concerning” and calling for urgent, decisive action.
Speaking at the EMEA Security Conference & Exhibition in Cape Town on Wednesday, Betti laid bare the scope of the problem: entrenched illegal networks, under-declared production by local manufacturers, and a sprawling informal economy that provides fertile ground for crime.
“There is much more that can be done,” Betti sai...