9 People Charged in Illegal-Cigarette Scheme
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Nine people have been charged with running a cigarette trafficking ring that cheated the government out of more than $1 million in tax revenue, federal authorities said Friday.
The suspects allegedly orchestrated a scheme to import and distribute cigarettes, primarily from China.
They affixed counterfeit tax stamps onto 4 million packs of cigarettes and sold them at smoke shops throughout Southern California, federal authorities said.
The charges resulted from a three-year investigation by several agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
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