WASHINGTON — Maryland’s comptroller cracked open a vault of contraband in the basement of a government building to shine a light on what’s being done to stop a common crime.
In the basement of the Treasury Building in Annapolis, Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot stood among the illegal cigarettes and alcohol valued at nearly $1 million on Thursday.
“We have all these cases of illegal alcohol and tobacco products confiscated over the year,” he said.
Behind him, sat crates containing 103,000 packs of cigarettes, 89,000 packs of tobacco, and what amounts to vats of moonshine and alcohol. It was all seized from smugglers who tried to sell the often stolen contraband in Maryland, skirting the state’s tax laws and undercutting retailers and other businesses in the state, Franchot said.
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6 comments:
Maybe if the tax laws were not so onerous, there wouldn't be a demand for this amount of boot-legged products!
Saved for the photo op.
Give the tobacco to the homeless and maybe they won't have to spend their food stamps.
Unfortunately all of it will be destroyed (burned)....no one wins because WE are still paying for those in jail.
It's called supply and demand and capitalism, isn't it?
The state wants a monopoly and their tax stamp ensures they get a cut of the action. When some entrepreneur tries to make a buck but cutting out the middle man, the middle man gets pissed. They then send their soldiers, police, tax agents and others, to take what this entrepreneur is selling and keeps it for themselves. And it doesn't stop there. They take his money, his freedom and make life very hard for him.
Reminds me of the mafia of old.
The state doesn't like competition.
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