According to various studies, illicit cigarettes account for between 54 and 70% of all those sold in South Africa, with the cost to the economy estimated at more than R20 billion a year.
The High Court in Pretoria last week dismissed a bid from FITA and 11 others to urgently interdict SARS from putting in place this kind of surveillance.
The Year in Review, 2023: The impact of illicit goods on SA and some significant successes iol.co.za - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from iol.co.za Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.