Philip Morris Cigarette Collusion with Italian Customs Agents

An OCCRP investigation, Organized crime and corruption reporting project, recently revealed the arrest of several customs officials in Italy who were bribed by the cigarette manufacturer Philip Morris[1]. The latter, through one of its managers, Leo Checcaglini, was thus able to benefit from confidential information and advantageous conditions compared to its competitors, in particular in setting prices and delaying the implementation of measures. Beyond this situation likely to allow it to better dominate the legal Italian market, the cigarette manufacturer's corrupt practices have more particularly concerned the monitoring and traceability systems intended to enable public authorities to combat the illicit trade in tobacco products. Such control has never been to the taste of the cigarette manufacturers, who have been involved on numerous occasions in the very organization of trafficking. Also, through companies that claim to be independent of the manufacturer and which, in reality, are closely linked to its activity, the cigarette manufacturer has easily been able to undermine the guarantees displayed by the current European system. The third party used by Philip Morris here is the company Fata Logistic Systems. The latter develops software. He has worked for the cigarette and other tobacco manufacturers Codentify, its premises are located within the Philip Morris buildings near Bologna. The company appears to continue to provide logistical support to the cigarette manufacturer. However, it has been approved by customs to carry out a control mission for the latter in the new system put in place. The OCCRP investigations therefore clearly call into question the overall independence of the European system in Italy and its reliability. ©Tobacco Free Generation

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[1] Organized crime and corruption reporting project. https://www.occrp.org/en/loosetobacco/without-a-trace/tobaccopoli-the-secret-battle-to-control-italys-cigarette-market ©National Committee Against Smoking |