Something still fishy at HSA?

[IcedCanuck]

At the end of the day they're all going up in smoke

[Orion21]

hahahahahaha, did anyone notice the agent at the 1:06 mark lift the cigar to his nose and smell it? I'm sure he was thinking "God, I hope someone miscounts and I can take some of these home!"

[Tarks]

This article from CA brings up one big question: we thought HSA had weeded out those parties that were skimming cigars and selling them into the grey market? How do SO MANY cigars leave unnoticed?

I am not surprised. After all, all the grey market vendors are still around selling new stock. You got to think a good chunk of these boxes are received through the back door of Cuba.

[El Presidente]

I am not surprised. After all, all the grey market vendors are still around selling new stock. You got to think a good chunk of these boxes are received through the back door of Cuba.

Not necessarilly.

X distributor sells to Y Grey market agent who sells to Z "group" in country A.

Getting legitimate cigars in volume out of Cuba is not easy these days after the Manuel Garcia episode. Getting Customs out in commercial quantities is not easy either.

This seizure is a big order by any means. HSA will likely claim counterfeit in order to protect the country distributor and either put financial pain on the people involved or force them to come out in the open to push through and try to claim the goods (pay taxes/fines if possible).

It was only a few years ago that 90 million cigars were sitting in Distributor warehouses around the world. To move this quantity in one hit would be attractive.

Unlikely it is the first time it has been done in this way. They just got caught.

[Fuzz]

Unlikely it is the first time it has been done in this way. They just got caught.

You know the old saying, "Everything's legal, as long as you don't get caught!"