Illicit tobacco trade in Panama: November 2022–March 2023 report
According to Nielsen’s 2022 study of the illegal cigarette market in Panama, smuggled cigarettes account for 96.7% of sales in Tocumen, in Panama Province. In David, Chiriquí Province, illicit cigarettes represent 96.5% of the market, followed by San Miguelito, where smuggled cigarettes account for 96.3% of consumption.
These and other findings are presented in our news events report on illicit trade in Panama (tobacco products, November 2022 to March 2023), prepared by the Centre for Research, Monitoring and Analysis of Illicit Trade (CIMA).
Key findings from the infographic
Between November 2022 and March 2023, CIMA recorded seven operational events across five provinces. Authorities seized 12,983,368 cigarettes, with an estimated value of US$5,532,550. Quantity and value were available for five events. Three people were detained in the two events for which detention figures were available. The main institutions involved were the National Customs Authority (ANA) and the Fiscal and Customs Police Directorate (DPFA).
The infographic identifies two events in Colón, two in Panama Province and one in Chiriquí. Nielsen’s 2022 cigarette market study put the illicit share at 92% and the legal share at 8%.
One reported seizure involved 522,000 packs of Link-brand cigarettes, valued at US$2.6 million, in a container at the Port of Colón. The shipment was declared as school supplies and was bound for Mexico. The report highlights connections between Mexico, Colombia and Panama.
The infographic also noted that Panama was scheduled to host the tenth session of the Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (COP10) and the third session of the Meeting of the Parties to its Protocol (MOP3) in November 2023.
The original Spanish infographic is reproduced below; its main findings are provided above in English.
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