Billions of fake cigarettes contained in packages mimicking American made cigarettes are being sent into the United States illegally from China and they contain dangerous chemicals including lead, asbestos and other life threatening checmicals. Asbestos is a known carcinogen responsible for mesothelioma and other life-threatening respiratory diseases.The majority of illegal cigarettes come from Asia, predominantly out of Yunxiao County in China. Production of fake cigarettes during the past decade, making China the world leader in counterfeit cigarettes. Criminal groups are flooding the country with tobacco through sea and air cargo, along with passenger luggage. As cigarette prices continue to rise, more and more smokers are expected to turn to cheap, illegally imported cigarettesCounterfeit Cigarettes a Global ProblemIn the U.S. alone, one ring smuggled a billion fake cigarettes into Los Angeles and New Jersey. While a pack of fake Marlboros costs 20 cents to make in China, in the U.S. it can fetch up to 20 times that amount, even when sold at cut rates. 99 percent of the U.S. counterfeit cigarette market is supplied by China.
Whistleblowers aware of products illegally brought into the United States may collect a percentage of what the Government collects under The False Claims Act (FCA).
