PMI Partners with U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Combatting Illicit Trade
January 29 2021 - 1:59PM
Business Wire
Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) (NYSE: PM) today signed a
memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the National Intellectual
Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) at the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to assist and support
Homeland Security Investigations’ (HSI) illicit tobacco trade
operations and other intellectual property rights
investigations.
“We are thrilled to partner with DHS and the IPR Center to
combat the illicit tobacco trade,” said PMI’s head of illicit trade
prevention for the U.S. Hernan Albamonte. “This partnership will
provide both parties necessary information to thwart terrorist and
criminal organizations that profit from the trade of illicit
tobacco and jeopardize our national security.”
The MOU is focused on comprehensive strategies and coordinating
efforts to disrupt and combat all forms of illicit tobacco trade,
as well as to address vital areas of intellectual property, brand
protection, and anti-counterfeiting strategies. The agreement will
also facilitate knowledge transfer between the center and PMI to
share mutually beneficial information and research to combat the
illicit tobacco trade and assist in other intellectual property
rights investigations.
“The agreement being signed today, is a continuation of a
years-long partnership between the IPR Center and PMI to protect
the American public by enforcing the nation’s intellectual property
rights laws and educating consumers on the dangers of illicitly
traded tobacco products. The IPR Center will leverage this robust
public-private partnership to develop outreach, training efforts
and share referral information to open investigations and target
these criminal acts,” said Steve Francis, IPR Center director.
Following an unprecedented year—when criminal and terrorist
organizations swiftly adapted and migrated their operations to suit
the new environment—this partnership illustrates how public- and
private-sector cooperation can make full use of existing expertise
and information sharing to foster innovative solutions and evolving
technologies.
In 2020, PMI recognized the urgent need to convene a myriad
group of government, diplomatic, public, and private institutions
to advance solutions to strengthen national security by upping the
fight against illicit products—from illicit tobacco-containing
products to faulty personal protective equipment (PPE). These
successes include:
- Taking tens of thousands of online and offline enforcement
actions against IP infringements in the U.S. and globally,
including against IP infringing online marketplace listings, social
media accounts, and websites.
- Working in close cooperation with state and local law
enforcement agencies across the U.S. to disrupt online operations
illegally distributing tobacco containing products.
- Launching a first of its kind, six-week virtual certification
course titled “Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products: Convergence with
Crime,” comprised of more than 500 registrants representing 133
U.S. law enforcement agencies.
- Building sustainable public-private partnerships through
initiatives such as:
- PMI IMPACT, a first-of-its-kind global initiative to support
public, private, and nongovernmental organizations, which has
allocated $48 million for the implementation of more than 60
projects in 30 countries to combat illegal trade and related
crimes.
- A partnership with the California Narcotic Officers’
Association (CNOA), a nonprofit corporation dedicated to providing
high-quality training for law enforcement professionals.
- Driving more than 346,000 clicks to DHS resources dedicated to
helping recognize and report fraudulent PPE goods through a public
service campaign—led by PMI and supported by other private industry
and academic leaders—to raise awareness about the emerging threat
of fraudulent PPE products.
During the signing event at the IPR Center, PMI’s vice president
of external affairs J.B. Simko said, “PMI is focused on developing
smoke-free alternatives that are a better choice for adults than
continued smoking. Our goal is that one day these products will
replace combustible cigarettes for good. The illicit trade
undermines these efforts by making unregulated products more
accessible, so we are determined to do our part to fight it.”
Philip Morris International: Delivering a Smoke-Free
Future
Philip Morris International (PMI) is leading a transformation in
the tobacco industry to create a smoke-free future and ultimately
replace cigarettes with smoke-free products to the benefit of
adults who would otherwise continue to smoke, society, the company,
and its shareholders. PMI is a leading international tobacco
company engaged in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes, as well
as smoke-free products and associated electronic devices and
accessories, and other nicotine-containing products in markets
outside the U.S. In addition, PMI ships a version of its IQOS
Platform 1 device and its consumables to Altria Group, Inc. for
sale under license in the U.S., where the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) has authorized their marketing as a modified
risk tobacco product (MRTP), finding that an exposure modification
order for these products is appropriate to promote the public
health. PMI is building a future on a new category of smoke-free
products that, while not risk-free, are a much better choice than
continuing to smoke. Through multidisciplinary capabilities in
product development, state-of-the-art facilities, and scientific
substantiation, PMI aims to ensure that its smoke-free products
meet adult consumer preferences and rigorous regulatory
requirements. PMI’s smoke-free product portfolio includes
heat-not-burn and nicotine-containing vapor products. As of Sept.
30, 2020, PMI estimates that approximately 11.7 million adult
smokers around the world have already stopped smoking and switched
to PMI’s heat-not-burn product, available for sale in 61 markets in
key cities or nationwide under the IQOS brand. For more
information, please visit www.pmi.com and www.pmiscience.com.
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Sam Dashiell Philip Morris International Media Office T. +1
(202) 480 1617 E. samuel.dashiell@pmi.com
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