British American Tobacco Fights Dirty in West Africa

A new investigation by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) alleges that British American Tobacco (BAT) sought to increase its market share by deliberately oversupplying West Africa with billions of cigarettes every year, a tactic which they report is common in the tobacco industry. OCCRP states in its report that BAT knew the oversupply would fuel illicit trade within Mali and open trade routes to other countries in Africa and Europe, with OCCRP pointing to an internal document which they believe suggests that BAT mapped and tracked contraband through informants in Mali and Niger.

OCCRP’s reporting on the global tobacco industry is funded by support provided, in part, by Vital Strategies, a partner in STOP.