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. These were found in a vacant lot near Kilometer 7 of the Duarte Highway, in the La Penda sector, where several individuals were caught in the act of illegally transferring the cigarettes. The vehicles and merchandise were promptly taken into custody for further processing.
The scale of the problem is immense. As reported in Diario Libre, in 2024, Ceccom prevented 34.3 million units of contraband cigarettes from entering the market, making them the most seized product by unit volume. The Customs Agency also reported in March the destruction of 19 million seized cigarettes that had attempted to enter the country illegally through various border crossings, ports, and airports.
It is estimated that the state loses nearly 2 billion Dominican pesos annually due to cigarette smuggling, according to the Dominican Cigarette Industry Association. The 19 million cigarettes destroyed by Customs alone represented over 150 million pesos in lost tax revenue.
Authorities are actively working to combat this scourge. The recent seizures are part of ongoing efforts by the Mesa de Ilícitos (Illicit Goods Roundtable), coordinated by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and MSMEs, which brings together various public and private institutions to fight irregular trade.
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Diario Libre
Somos Pueblo
7 July 2025