White Boxes, Smuggled Goods: Chaos Continues in the Tobacco Market

The "Haykakan Joghout" newspaper reports: "We have repeatedly addressed the situation prevailing in the tobacco market and conveyed the concerns from citizens and sources in law enforcement agencies regarding instances of illegal tobacco trade. It should be noted that after our publications, the State Revenue Committee and the police have mainly responded, leading to arrests and inspections. Unfortunately, the situation remains far from satisfactory; we continue to receive information regarding illegal tobacco circulation in the market.

The circulation of cigarettes in white boxes persists, with sales primarily conducted through online platforms, while in rural areas, they are sold door-to-door. Advertisements for sales are posted, and there have also been recorded instances of smuggling tobacco from abroad, which is then sold mainly away from large cities and major shops. After our reports, officials from the Ministry of Justice, the Inspectorate, and relevant departments contacted us, indicating that a solution to the issue is possible if the legislative regulation that took effect this year is applied, which mandates the printing of horrifying images of diseases caused by smoking on the packaging of produced and imported tobacco. This would facilitate swift differentiation between smuggled or illegally circulated products and legal ones.

In response to our question about why this legislative requirement is not being implemented, or is barely being implemented, they stated that the majority of manufacturers and importers claim that the tobacco circulating in the market was imported or produced before January 2024, which means there was no such requirement at the time of production and import. However, our sources assert that this leads to a continuation of illegal sales. We await the day when the market will be fully populated with "picture" boxes.

It turns out that the state undertakes obligations that it either cannot fulfill or, as a result, floods the market with illegal products. Naturally, for our citizens living in poor social conditions, cheaper tobacco is preferable. In short, the state seems incapable of ensuring regulated and legal conditions.

We attempted to discuss the state's inability with Arsen Torosyan, the former Minister of Health and currently a member of the National Assembly from the "Civil Contract" faction, but he did not respond to our calls."