Illegal cigarette kingpins made R12bn since lockdown ban on tobacco By Thobeka Ngema Share Durban - Tax Justice SA (TJSA) and British American Tobacco South Africa (Batsa) are open to a commission of inquiry into the illegal cigarette trade in the country that has ballooned to billions of rands, the organisations have said. On Tuesday,, TJSA founder Yusuf Abramjee said the illicit trade exploded since the 20-week ban in 2020 and that cost the country R38 million in lost excise taxes every day, and enriched kingpins in the black market to the tune of R12 billion. Criminals selling tax-evading cigarettes now openly dominate the market across the country, costing the fiscus an estimated R8 billion a year in lost excise alone.