The Market Management Department in Khanh Hoa Province destroyed 30,800 packets of cigarettes on June 23, which had been smuggled into the province.
Jet, Esse, 555 and Hero are the most common brands to be smuggled into the province.
The smuggled cigarette packs were seized after police raided cigarette shops and agencies in the province. Police also seized a large volume of tobacco being transported by trucks into the province.
According to the Viet Nam Tobacco Association, illegal cigarettes make up 20 percent of the domestic market share, which accounts for VND3-3.5 trillion (US$150-175 million) in losses to the State, as cigarettes are tax free.
