Trinidad Illicit Cigarette Trade Gets US$15M
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO · ILLICIT TRADE, CRIME
Key Facts
- The country Trinidad and Tobago, a two-island Caribbean nation just off Venezuela and a major gas exporter.
- What happened A Colombian consultancy’s study, made public in September 2026, says smuggled cigarettes are shifting here from Suriname.
- The money Trade data suggest nearly US$15 million of cigarette trade moved from Suriname toward Trinidad in 2024.
- The law Selling unlicensed tobacco can mean a fine of TT$100,000 (US$14,900) and six months in jail.
- The US angle US customs trained local officers in 2019, and Washington has long flagged the islands as a transit point.
The Trinidad illicit cigarette trade is growing, a new study says, as about US$15 million of smuggling shifted to Trinidad and Tobago. The study was written by Daniel Rico, director of C-Analisis, a Colombian consultancy, and made public in September 2026.
It argues that crackdowns in nearby Suriname pushed smugglers toward Trinidad, a busy shipping hub. The finance minister says the government has seized more than 920,000 packs since June 2025, yet the study doubts the laws are enforced.
Why the Trinidad Illicit Cigarette Trade Is Growing
The study compares trade figures for two countries. Suriname’s cigarette imports were US$25.3 million in 2023 and US$10 million in 2024, while Trinidad and Tobago’s recorded imports were US$3.6 million and US$4.1 million.
The author reads this as nearly US$15 million that skipped Suriname in 2024 and went to Trinidad. That Trinidad illicit cigarette trade figure is an estimate from trade data, not a seizure total or a court finding.
The study puts the local market at 1.2 billion cigarettes a year. It also says a pack costs about US$0.20 to make and sells for about US$2.22 to US$2.30 locally, which explains the profit.
How the Smuggling Works
The study links one unnamed Trinidad businessman to 14 shipments totalling 32 containers in 2022 and 2023. It also says at least 12 containers of a South Korean brand called Carnival reached Port of Spain in January 2025.
Each container held about 10 million cigarettes, and the planned route ran through Grenada and Suriname to Belém in Brazil. The author calls Trinidad a transshipment point and urges a ban on the practice in its ports.
He adds that the trade pays back faster than drugs, with money returning in about a month against about six months for narcotics. The study notes that the US State Department has listed Trinidad as a drug transit point since 2014.
What the Government Says About the Trinidad Illicit Cigarette Trade
West Indian Tobacco Company, known as WITCO, makes the Dunhill, Lucky Strike and Rothmans brands and belongs to British American Tobacco. It says the tax on a 20-pack doubled from TT$5.26 (US$0.78) to TT$10.52 (US$1.57), pushing buyers toward cheap smuggled packs.
The Trinidad illicit cigarette trade undercuts WITCO, which says illegal packs cost TT$10 to TT$15 (US$1.49 to US$2.23). Legal packs cost TT$20 to TT$24 (US$2.98 to US$3.57), and one illegal container can earn about US$1 million in profit.
The Anti-Illicit Trade Task Force, a public and private partnership of 12 bodies including Customs and the Financial Intelligence Unit, has worked since May 2021. Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo says it seized more than 920,000 packs between June 2025 and August 2026.
What the Law Says
The Tobacco Control Act bars wholesale import, export or distribution of tobacco without a licence. A lower-court conviction brings up to TT$100,000 (US$14,900) and six months in jail, and a higher court up to TT$200,000 (US$29,800) and one year.
The Health Ministry’s Tobacco Control Unit says police seized more than 331,156 unlicensed tobacco products from shops by the end of 2023. Only six cases had reached court, with one fine handed down and five still pending.
The study says the penalties are rarely used and that jail time is mostly for repeat offenders. That gap between the law and the Trinidad illicit cigarette trade is the heart of its warning.
What It Means for You
For a US visitor, the main risk is buying from an unlicensed seller, since the Health Ministry bars such sales. Officials also say nobody knows what cheap smuggled packs contain.
For US readers following the region, the Trinidad illicit cigarette trade shows how Caribbean ports are used for goods as well as drugs. For more, read our guide to the Trinidad and Tobago economy and our report on the gas talks with Venezuela.
What Is Not Known
The US$15 million figure is a researcher’s reading of trade data, and no government has confirmed it. The businessman in the study is not named, and no court case is described.
It is also unclear how much of the Carnival cigarettes reached shops and how much stayed in containers. Earlier industry figures put the illegal share at 5% to 10% of the market, while WITCO now cites a rise of 8% to 15%.
More: Latin America news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Trinidad illicit cigarette trade?
The Trinidad illicit cigarette trade is the smuggling and sale of cigarettes that skip the licence or tax the law requires. A Colombian consultancy says about US$15 million of such trade shifted toward Trinidad and Tobago in 2024.
Why are smuggled cigarettes cheaper in Trinidad?
WITCO says illegal packs sell for TT$10 to TT$15 (US$1.49 to US$2.23), against TT$20 to TT$24 (US$2.98 to US$3.57) for legal ones. Smugglers avoid the excise tax, which was doubled in the 2026 budget.
Is it illegal to sell unlicensed cigarettes in Trinidad and Tobago?
Yes, the Tobacco Control Act bars wholesale import and distribution without a licence. The penalty is a fine of up to TT$100,000 (US$14,900) and six months in jail on summary conviction.
Who is fighting the trade?
The Anti-Illicit Trade Task Force, set up in 2021, brings together Customs, police, the Financial Intelligence Unit and private-sector groups. The finance minister says it seized more than 920,000 packs between June 2025 and August 2026.
Sources: Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of Trade, Investment and Tourism, Anti Illicit Trade Task Force page, 1 November 2026; Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of Health, Tobacco Control Unit public notice on illicit tobacco products, July 2025.
This article was drafted with automated assistance and reviewed before publication. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief