article_snippet: In addition to significant revenue loss, illicit tobacco products damage legitimate businesses and the trade is unregulated making cheaper tobacco more readily available to the young and vulnerable.'
article_snippet: In the last two years, almost 3.3 billion cigarettes and over 800 tonnes of illicit hand-rolling tobacco have been seized and 593 criminals involved have been prosecuted.
article_snippet: How many illegal cigarettes are in the UK?
article_snippet: Border officials say that close to 50 million cigarettes are seized each month - but the overall figure is much higher .
article_snippet: Illegal packets of cigarettes can cost between £3 and £4 - less than half the price of legal packs .
article_snippet: £2.1 billion was lost in the last year because of illegal tobacco trade .
article_snippet: Of the average pack of fags, how much of the price goes to the government in tax and duty? 
article_snippet: On a typical pack of 20  cigarettes the total tax burden is £6.17 on typical £7.98 pack .
article_snippet: There are no controls over what is mixed into counterfeit cigarettes and by buying it smokers are funding international organised crime gangs,' an HMRC spokesman told MailOnline. '
article_snippet: Cheap tobacco may seem like a bargain, but there are no controls over what is mixed into the product and by buying the product smokers are funding organised crime gangs.'
highlights_snippet: HMRC says illegal tobacco trade costs around £2.1bn in lost tax revenue .