BVTE: Counterfeit Winston Cigarettes Found for Sale in Berlin

The German Tobacco Industry Association (BVTE) has reported on suspicious cigarettes found for sale in Berlin. A carton of Winston Blue cigarettes, purchased on the street for 50 Euros, exhibits numerous characteristics inconsistent with products intended for the German market.

The cigarettes lacked a German tax stamp and were marked "FOR DUTY FREE SALE ONLY," featuring only English warning labels. Furthermore, all tested packs from the carton displayed the identical track-and-trace code, despite this code being required to be unique per pack. The EAN-13 barcode was also found to be formally invalid due to an incorrect check digit.

A laboratory analysis commissioned by the Institute for Tobacco Research revealed that each cigarette contained 15.2 mg of tar, 1.90 mg of nicotine, and 13.2 mg of carbon monoxide. These levels exceed the EU's maximum limits of 10 mg for tar, 1 mg for nicotine, and 10 mg for carbon monoxide.

"Nothing adds up here. Missing tax stamp, duty-free labeling, English warnings, a seemingly copied traceability code, an invalid barcode, and emission values significantly above legal limits. The overall picture strongly suggests a counterfeit and illegally distributed cigarette," stated Jan Mücke, CEO of BVTE. He highlighted the risks to consumers, as illegal tobacco products are not subject to the same controls and quality standards as legitimate goods.

Through its "Smuggled Cigarette of the Week" initiative, BVTE aims to raise awareness about the diverse forms of illegal tobacco trade. Current estimates suggest that one in five cigarette packs consumed in Germany is not taxed domestically.