DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

The fight against cigarette contraband is intensifying in the Dominican Republic, with authorities seizing millions of illicit cigarettes. These smuggled goods that enter from the border with Haiti, represent a significant loss of revenue for the state and fuel an underground market where smugglers fiercely compete for their share of smokers, Diario Libre reports.

Diario Libre reports that cigarettes are by far the most confiscated contraband in the Dominican Republic. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, the Specialized Corps for the Control of Fuels and Merchandise Trade (Ceccom) seized a staggering 15.5 million units of tobacco products and derivatives. This figure dwarfs other confiscated goods, like the two million units of medicine seized in the same period.The latest major bust occurred in La Vega, where Ceccom officers confiscated 3.3 million cigarette units...