Illegal cigarettes cost half price as government seizes $2 million worth

Black-market cigarettes sell for $13 a packet in Auckland—less than half what they'd cost with government tax included. Police seized 1.3 million cigarettes worth $2 million in taxes that weren't paid in the first combined operation, arresting five people. Bringing in cigarettes without paying tax or selling them illegally can mean fines up to $20,000 or jail.