Heather Sokoloff. National Post. Canada, April 6, 2001
Scientists at Canada Customs have developed a chemical test to detect
counterfeit Cuban cigars.
The test to looks for a unique chemical signature in tobacco leaves
processed and grown in Cuba and tests tells scientists which cigars are fakes
brought in by smugglers. Cuban cigars range from $200 for a box of 25, to $1,500
for rare brands.
The test also enables customs officials to find cigars disguised to bypass
duty and taxes. Smugglers roll real Cuban tobacco into fake containers, and
repackage them once they have crossed the border.
Last year 1,400 boxes of suspect cigars were seized and sent to a customs
lab in Ottawa, where scientists spent days trying to determine their
authenticity based on appearance and smell.
The test does the job faster and more accurately, said Lay-Keow Ng, a
scientist at the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency, who spent a year developing
it.
"Tobacco is a dirty, complex mixture. Sometimes we test it and see that
it's from Cuba, but made from scrap tobacco leaves," Ms. Ng said.
Ms. Ng isolates acids in the tobacco leaves with an instrument similar to
one used to detect drugs in athletes' urine. She compares acid ratios in the
suspect tobacco with acids in real Cuban leaves.
The customs scientists may be the first to use science to determine the
authenticity of Cuban tobacco, said Ms. Ng. They are expecting interest from
U.S. officials, where the sale of Cuban cigars is banned.
Cigar retailers say much of the smuggling is done by Canadian tourists
travelling to Cuba. | 