Special Report: Trying to stub out the fakes

AFTER the crowd has long gone at the famous English racecourse, shadowy figures are sifting through the rubbish left behind. They seize empty cigarette packets and load them into polythene bags.

A strange sight, perhaps, but this is known as “garbology” — an attempt to estimate the prevalence of counterfeit cigarettes in Britain by analysing discarded packets.

The results of one day’s rummaging, according to Bob Fenton, security liaison manager for the Tobacco Manufacturers’ Association (TMA), reveal that out of 229 packs collected, 14 — or 6% — are counterfeit.