EU auditors say AI is helping tobacco smugglers pick their next target

The EU Court of Auditors estimates illicit tobacco costs EU and national budgets €13 billion annually, with one in ten cigarettes smuggled or illegally produced and about 21 000 tonnes of non-cigarette tobacco involved. Criminal networks use cheap AI tools to analyse enforcement data across all 27 member states, identifying weak borders, lax excise regimes and enforcement gaps to optimise smuggling routes. Fragmented coordination, uneven enforcement and lack of harmonised EU law hinder effective counter-measures.