Forensic Investigative Associates, Rod Stamler and the U.S.“National Coalition against Crime and Tobacco Contraband”

During the Canadian smuggling ‘crisis’ of the early 1990s, one of the most prominent advocates for a tobacco tax rollback was Rod Stamler, former assistant commissioner of the RCMP. (Stamler was hired by the Canadian tobacco industry — see p. 10 of ) Stamler and his firm, Forensic Investigative Associates, are still active on behalf of something called the “National Coalition against Crime and Tobacco Contraband.” This Coalition has all the hallmarks of a tobacco industry front group. However, FIA’s “reports” on the threat of tobacco smuggling in the United States are still widely circulated, often with no indication of who is paying the piper.

• “Tobacco Smuggling and Tobacco Industry Accountability: Unanswered Questions” — NSRA press release, Jan. 20th, 1998, following the airing of a CBC fifth estatedocumentary on links between tobacco smugglers and senior RJR-Macdonald executives. Includes a section on the “Rod Stamler factor.” [temporarily (?) unavailable on-line]
•  — eye weekly (Toronto), Oct. 21st, 1999.
•  — Detroit News, Oct. 24, 1995. One example of many of Stamler’s role as an unidentified tobacco industry apologist.
•  — A recent FIA report, from the Brown & Williamson website. (Brown & Williamson is Imperial Tobacco of Canada’s U.S. sister company within the BAT group.) The U.S. . As always, FIA concludes that tax increases would be catastrophic.