No Cigarette Imports in 2 Months

Cigarette imports fell to zero over the first two months of the current Iranian year (March 21-May 21) compared with the import of 503 million cigarettes year-on-year, Ali Asghar Ramzi, the head of Iranian Tobacco Planning and Supervision Center said on Monday. 
The import halt does not mean no foreign cigarette entered Iran, as tobacco smuggling is rife. 
Ramzi estimates that 2.7 billion cigarettes were smuggled into the country last year (March 2017-18), indicating a 55% decline YOY. 
He added that a total of 749 tons of mu’assel were imported in the period, indicating a 67% decline YOY, IRNA reported.