GITOC’s 2026 report on Europe’s Illicit Tobacco Trade reveals that organised crime is rapidly shifting to local production, online sales, and new nicotine products, outpacing enforcement

The Smoke Rings report explains how disruptions from the pandemic, war and sanctions reshaped Europe’s illicit cigarette market, with domestic “guerrilla” factories producing much of the illicit supply and traditional Eastern European sources adapting to changing conditions. It documents evolving trafficking routes, diversified smuggling techniques (from drones to transshipment hubs), rising digital sales and the multifaceted harms of the illicit market, from tax loss to exploitation and organised-crime financing…