Black market for cigarettes fuels robberies in AucklandRENEE CLAYTON/STUFF Anand Patel says penalties need to be harsher. Eight teenagers swarmed an Auckland dairy, stealing pies, chocolate, cash and cigarettes. The rising price of cigarettes due to government taxes is behind a rise in dairy robberies, says the owner of Panmure's Hobson Drive Dairy. Patel said robberies were rare prior to the last couple of years but in the last six months he has been hit four times. With the average price of a 20-pack being only $11 in 2010, the black market demand was now greater than ever before, Patel said.

Source: Stuff March 25, 2018 01:27 UTC