Marlboro maker Philip Morris appoints first UK illicit trade tackling chief

Marlboro maker Philip Morris has created the new role of illicit trade prevention manager in an effort to “tackle the sale of illicit products in the UK”.

It has appointed Catherine Goger to the new position, who will be responsible for co-ordinating crime-fighting operations, working with local authorities and supporting the company’s field sales teams and retail partners.

The role creation comes as Philip Morris International (PMI) commissioned research by KPMG which found while overall cigarette consumption has decreased in the UK, the use of contraband and counterfeit cigarettes is rising, with one in four cigarettes smoked now illicit.

The UK ranks third among 38 European countries for illicit tobacco consumption, according to the research.

Goger joined Philip Morris in 2022, leading the fraud prevention team at Philip Morris Japan. She previously held senior positions at Ernst & Young, HSBC and Prudential, in financial crime and corruption prevention, and anti-money laundering.

“Catherine’s background in fighting illegal activity makes her well equipped to understand how illicit operations impact legitimate retailers’ businesses, and strategies to overcome them,” the tobacco giant said.

The company is working to tackle the illicit trade at the local level with educational campaigns and test-purchase operations, as well as “building intelligence on a global scale” with international organisations.

“I am passionate about fighting illicit trade, as I have seen first-hand the – often horrific – outcomes from these illegal activities,” Goger said. “Spending time out in the field joining test purchases with our undercover team, I was astounded by the brazenness of irresponsible retailers – with illicit tobacco products openly available.”

“These retailers sell substandard products – some of which have been infested with vermin droppings and asbestos – often to underaged consumers and vulnerable people. There needs to be more awareness of the illicit trade and the negative impact it has on both responsible retailers’ businesses and on public health,” she added.

Figures from HM Revenue & Customs show the number of duty-paid cigarettes sold plummeted from 23.6 billion in 2021 to 13.2 billion in 2024, a decline of 44.4%. In the same period, sales of duty-paid hand-rolling tobacco dropped from 8.6 million kilograms to 4.5 million kilograms, a decline of 47.6%. Overall, the number of cigarettes bought on the legal market fell by 45.5% between 2021 and 2024.

The Institute of Economic Affairs says these declines come “despite the number of smokers falling only modestly” and daily cigarette consumption among them remaining stable.

“The only plausible explanation for this is that there has been rapid growth in tobacco sales on the black market,” said the institute’s Dr Christopher Snowdon. “This should be a wake-up call for the government. The black market for tobacco is out of control.”