The Korea Customs Service said more than five million packs of cigarettes smuggled through South Korea were seized in overseas joint operations.
 
The customs agency said Wednesday that it confiscated a total of five‑point‑16 million packs, about 103 tons, last year through joint operations with customs authorities in countries including Australia, the United States and France.

The figure includes cases in which foreign cigarettes were smuggled into South Korea as well as cases in which the country was used as a transit point for smuggling to other destinations.

Australia accounted for more than half of the seized volume at three‑point‑17 million packs, followed by the U.S. at 757‑thousand packs, and then France, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and Taiwan.

The customs service noted that the seized amount would be enough to distribute one pack to more than half of South Korea’s estimated eight to nine million adult smokers.

The agency warned that cigarette smuggling can cause major losses in customs and tobacco tax revenue and serve as a key funding source for international organized crime.