Where's my smokes? ATF audit.

• Author: Shackford, Scott
• Position: Citings - United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Brief article

THE BUREAU of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is responsible for clamping down on black markets for cigarettes. But a September audit by the Justice Department suggests the agency actually contributes to the supply of illicit smokes.

The focus of the report, covering operations between 2006 and 2011, was so-called "churning" investigations, where undercover ATF agents are permitted to engage in illegal cigarette sales as long as the money is used to fund the agency's operations. During the audit period, the ATF earned $162 million in this fashion.

But the Justice Department took issue with the lack of oversight on how the money was...