Albanian gangs are using social media platforms such as TikTok and Facebook to sell low-priced cigarettes with "express delivery" to British homes, according to an investigation published by the Daily Mail.
The investigation uncovered several Albanian-language websites offering popular cigarette brands to customers in the United Kingdom. According to the report, the cigarettes were described as coming from Albania or Greece and were being sold for £6-7 per pack, while the average price on the British market is around £16. The large difference in price raises suspicions that the products are being smuggled to avoid tobacco tax and may even be counterfeit.
One of the accounts identified on TikTok and Facebook operated under a name that translates as “Albanian cigarette packs”, offering cigarettes from Albania and Greece for home delivery. According to the newspaper, a journalist was offered packs priced at £6.50, compared to £17.75 in British supermarkets. One of the TikTok pages has been removed after reporting by British media.
