HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) currently has no direct evidence that profits from tobacco fraud fund any specific terrorist groups.<\/p>
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The joint HMRC/Border Force strategy to tackle tobacco smuggling has been successful in driving a consistent and sustained reduction in the illicit market in the UK, reducing the market share for illicit cigarettes by more than half and hand-rolling tobacco by one-third since 2000.<\/p>
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The latest tobacco anti-fraud strategy \u2018Tackling Tobacco Smuggling \u2013 building on our successes\u2019 was launched in April 2011. Its objective is to achieve further sustainable downward pressure on the illicit market in cigarettes through to 2015. A copy was placed in the House of Commons library at that time.<\/p>
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In 2013/14, HMRC referred 328 cases for prosecution and seized 1,437 million cigarettes and 330 tonnes of hand-rolling tobacco.<\/p>
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