Deputy Minister Attributes Opposition to Philip Morris to 'Smugglers' Interests'

The Deputy Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade of Iran attributed the opposition to granting a license for the activities of Philip Morris Tobacco Company in Iran and the legal import of Marlboro cigarettes to the jeopardy of the '500 billion tomans' interests of cigarette smugglers in the country. According to Mehdi Abouei, former deputy of the Anti-Smuggling Headquarters of Iran, '40 percent' of the total volume of cigarette smuggling into Iran is attributed to American Marlboro cigarettes. In recent weeks, Ahmad Jannati, Secretary of the Guardian Council, and the Commission on Article 90 of the Iranian Parliament have protested against the license granted to Philip Morris for establishing a cigarette factory in the country with an annual capacity of 12 billion cigarettes. According to the state news agency IRNA, Mojtaba Khosrotaj, Deputy Minister of Industry for Trade, said on Friday, December 7, that Marlboro cigarettes, due to lacking an official import license, have mainly been smuggled into Iran over the years. He reported that the director of the Tobacco Control Center, the official organization granting licenses for the import and production of tobacco products, has been 'threatened' in recent years, particularly in the last three weeks, and that for this reason, Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh, Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade, personally signed the import and production license for Marlboro cigarettes in Iran. Khosrotaj stated that the delay in issuing the import license for Marlboro cigarettes would mean the continuation of smuggling of these cigarettes and the creation of '500 billion tomans' profits for smugglers. He emphasized, 'Typically, smuggling gangs in any country try to equip themselves with pressure tools through the networks of communication and corruption they create in society, and whenever they see resistance against smuggling, they seek to confront it.' Mehdi Abouei also mentioned that 'about 45 percent' of the country's cigarette consumption is supplied through smuggling, which amounts to 25 billion cigarettes. He added in an interview with the Tasnim news agency that establishing a Marlboro factory in Iran could significantly reduce cigarette smuggling. The Iranian Labor News Agency, ILNA, reported in April of this year that the cigarette consumption in Iran last year was about 65 billion cigarettes. The ISNA news agency also reported on September 8 that in the first five months of this year, over 5,100 tons of tobacco-containing cigarettes worth approximately $40.4 million were imported into Iran. In contrast to the defense of government officials regarding the license granted to Philip Morris, some officials of the Islamic Republic have labeled the company as 'Zionist' and criticized its activities in the country. For instance, Ahmad Jannati stated in the Friday prayer sermons on November 30 in Tehran, 'Today, officials are taking actions that, despite being minor, are questionable. For example, they go and buy 12 billion Marlboro cigarettes from a company accused of being Zionist.' Mohammad Ali Pourmokhtar, head of the Article 90 Commission of Parliament, also claimed that the symbol of Philip Morris is a roaring lion, which 'represents Jewish Zionists.' These statements come despite Mehdi Abouei's assertion that in 2013, after holding multiple meetings with officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Intelligence, no evidence was presented to support the claim of Philip Morris being 'Zionist.' He also noted, 'During these meetings, the Ministry of Intelligence continued to claim that Philip Morris was Zionist, and I ultimately gave this ministry three months to present its documented evidence.' Abouei added, 'Before this three-month opportunity expired, my term at the Anti-Smuggling Headquarters ended, and I could not reach final results on this matter.' Officials from the Ministry of Industry and Mine have also rejected the accusation of Philip Morris being 'Zionist' and stated that no documents have been provided to prove this claim.