How we can twist words!
This morning I read an article from an Australian paper.
TAXPAYERS have been ripped off by at least $640 million because of illicit tobacco shipped by criminal gangs and dodgy importers in the last five years alone.
TAXPAYERS? TAXPAYERS? Taxpayers have been ripped off?
The government there takes $25 dollars (is it dollars?) from the purchase of ONE pack of fags at $30 dollars. Ripped off? Who is being ripped off?
In the UK here, the tax on a pack of smokes is 90%. Ripped off? Who is being ripped off?
A department spokeswoman told the Daily Telegraph that “illicit tobacco is an attractive market for organised criminal syndicates due to the lucrative profits that can be made in evaded tax”.
I kid you not!
I can hardly get my head around that. Evaded tax for criminal syndicates?
If I still smoked, I would buy illicit stuff – as a matter of PRINCIPLE!
Link to Illicit tobacco imports ripping off Aussie taxpayers of at least $640 million
The Last Furlong 
Apr 10, 2017 at 10:02
“If I still smoked, I would buy illicit stuff – as a matter of PRINCIPLE!”
For once we agree. Not paying ‘UK Duty Paid’ is not only a matter of financial survival (even I struggle to afford £20 a day for 50g of tobacco) but a moral question. I refuse to pay for my persecution, that really is adding insult to injury. Which is why this very morning i have booked a ‘Baccy Run’ day trip to Belgium. Pouch of tobacco cost just shy of £8 there. Even if I were only to bring back the MIL it would be a saving of £150 -not bad for a day wasted sitting on my arse. Been a whiles since i earned that sort of money.
I HATE and LOATH coach travel, always have even before the smoking verbot…but needs must etc.
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Apr 10, 2017 at 10:06
Well done!
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Apr 10, 2017 at 11:23
I had prevaricated about buying ticket I hate coach travel that much (and I’m a skinflint!). But finally ‘bit into the sour apple’ as The Bestes Frau In The World’s people say. Looks like it was the right decision because a minute ago I met up with the mate who was going to be bringing me back a load of rolling tobacco from foreign parts….but terrorists had closed the airport (f**king ISIS!) and he couldn’t even get any for himself. (and was also diverted from Stansted to Gatwick).
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