
How illicit tobacco quietly grew to a quarter of all cigarettes sold here
From The Front Page
Published 4/15/2026

From The Front Page
Published 4/15/2026
Illicit tobacco is quietly taking hold across New Zealand. A Retail NZ report warns the country could soon face the same violent black-market spiral seen in Australia. It has found more than a quarter of smokers are using illicit tobacco - most sourced from China and the Middle East. Some cartons…