British American Tobacco Malaysia has called upon Malaysians to help stop the trading of illicit cigarettes, reported malay mail.

BAT Malaysia has launched its “Stop the Black Market” campaign, which has asked Malaysians to share their thoughts on how to prevent the black market from being used. At the company’s recent annual general meeting, Jonathan Reed, the managing director, stated, “The negative impact of the tobacco black market is far-reaching as it affects legal businesses and the lives of all Malaysians. We applaud the hard work done by law enforcement agencies recently and we hope that these efforts continue to pressure the syndicates operating in this black market. However, enforcement alone is not enough to address this issue.”
According to the report, a recent study conducted by The Nielsen Company found that 62 per cent of the total tobacco market in Malaysia belonged to criminal gangs and that the country had gained a reputation for being number one in the world for illegal cigarettes. The report also found that, due to illicit cigarette trade, Malaysia loses around USD 1.2 billion in excise taxes annually.
Part of BAT’s campaign has involved offering a nationwide survey, where Malaysians will be able to share their own views. In a statement, BAT said that the result of the survey “can help drive a national discussion on how the black market can be stopped.”