British American Tobacco's alleged complicity in North Korea's financing of terrorism has landed the tobacco giant in a lawsuit that could have far-reaching implications for the company.
A class action lawsuit filed on Thursday alleges that British American Tobacco (BAT) and one of its subsidiaries knowingly profited from illicit cigarette sales to North Korea, which was used to fund the development of weapons of mass destruction. The lawsuit claims that BAT's clandestine scheme in North Korea led to deadly terrorist attacks on US military personnel and civilians.
According to the lawsuit, BAT formed a joint venture with a North Korean company in 2001 to manufacture cigarettes, which continued secretly despite public warnings from the US government about North Korea's involvement in terrorism. The venture generated millions of dollars in revenue that were allegedly used to advance North Korea's weapons program.
In 2023, BAT entered into a deferred prosecution agreement and agreed to pay $629 million in fines for conspiring to violate sanctions and bank fraud. However, the lawsuit claims that this settlement does not hold the company accountable for its alleged role in financing terrorism.
The plaintiffs include hundreds of US military service members, civilians, and their families who were affected by the terrorist attacks. The lawsuit argues that BAT should be liable for damages because it was aware of the risks associated with the illicit cigarette trade and continued to operate the venture anyway.
Experts point out that this case has significant implications for corporate accountability in cases of alleged terrorism financing. "The devastating harm caused by terrorist violence does not fade with time," said Raj Parekh, a partner at Sparacino PLLC representing the plaintiffs. "This case is about pursuing justice for American service members, civilians, and their loved ones, and about seeking accountability for conduct that allegedly enabled the terrorist attacks against them."
BAT has declined to comment on the lawsuit, but experts say that this case highlights the need for greater scrutiny of corporate activities in countries with questionable human rights records. As one expert noted, "Its in-house personnel closely monitored US government and media reports, and its own corporate filings confirm it was acutely aware of the terrorist finance risks presented by the illicit cigarette trade."
A class action lawsuit filed on Thursday alleges that British American Tobacco (BAT) and one of its subsidiaries knowingly profited from illicit cigarette sales to North Korea, which was used to fund the development of weapons of mass destruction. The lawsuit claims that BAT's clandestine scheme in North Korea led to deadly terrorist attacks on US military personnel and civilians.
According to the lawsuit, BAT formed a joint venture with a North Korean company in 2001 to manufacture cigarettes, which continued secretly despite public warnings from the US government about North Korea's involvement in terrorism. The venture generated millions of dollars in revenue that were allegedly used to advance North Korea's weapons program.
In 2023, BAT entered into a deferred prosecution agreement and agreed to pay $629 million in fines for conspiring to violate sanctions and bank fraud. However, the lawsuit claims that this settlement does not hold the company accountable for its alleged role in financing terrorism.
The plaintiffs include hundreds of US military service members, civilians, and their families who were affected by the terrorist attacks. The lawsuit argues that BAT should be liable for damages because it was aware of the risks associated with the illicit cigarette trade and continued to operate the venture anyway.
Experts point out that this case has significant implications for corporate accountability in cases of alleged terrorism financing. "The devastating harm caused by terrorist violence does not fade with time," said Raj Parekh, a partner at Sparacino PLLC representing the plaintiffs. "This case is about pursuing justice for American service members, civilians, and their loved ones, and about seeking accountability for conduct that allegedly enabled the terrorist attacks against them."
BAT has declined to comment on the lawsuit, but experts say that this case highlights the need for greater scrutiny of corporate activities in countries with questionable human rights records. As one expert noted, "Its in-house personnel closely monitored US government and media reports, and its own corporate filings confirm it was acutely aware of the terrorist finance risks presented by the illicit cigarette trade."
british american tobacco is literally profiting from killing people in north korea and now they're just paying a slap on the wrist? $629 million is not enough considering all the lives lost 
i mean, who's to say bat wasnt aware of the risks but chose to keep operating anyway? seems like they were more interested in making that cash 
than doing the right thing. and what about all the other companies out there that might be involved in similar dealings? we need better regulations and oversight here 
this is wild... BAT knew they were profiting off a regime that's been linked to some serious human rights abuses, let alone funding terrorism. The fact that they entered into a settlement in 2023 doesn't exactly scream "accountability" 
it's like, sure, you pay the fine, but do you really think that covers up all the dirty dealings? 
. The whole thing feels like a giant game of corporate whack-a-mole - where companies just keep on profiting from questionable activities, and the regulators are always one step behind 
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this is like whoa!! so basically BAT is being sued for allegedly helping North Korea fund terrorism with their cigarette sales 
and now they're getting hit with a lawsuit that could be super bad for them 
and now hundreds of US military service members & civilians & their fams are coming after them for damages 
it's like, the lawsuit says BAT knew about the risks but still did it anyway 
so we'll see what happens next... fingers crossed for justice!!! 
I mean, who knew that tobacco companies were secretly funding North Korea's nuke program? It's like something out of a spy thriller movie. And now, hundreds of US military service members and civilians are coming after BAT for allegedly profiting from the illicit cigarette trade. This is a huge deal because it raises questions about corporate accountability in cases of alleged terrorism financing. I mean, if BAT was aware of the risks and still went ahead with the joint venture, that's some serious negligence on their part. The fact that they entered into a deferred prosecution agreement and only paid $629 million in fines doesn't seem like enough to many people, considering the devastating harm caused by terrorist violence. This case is going to be super interesting to watch and I'm guessing it'll have far-reaching implications for corporate activity around the world 
. I mean, who profits from terrorism? It's just so messed up 
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. It's like, if you're gonna operate in a gray area, you gotta expect some heat 
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. We need more companies to take responsibility for their actions and not just sweep it under the rug 
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. The plaintiffs are right that corporate accountability is key here - if BAT was aware of the risks and chose to ignore them anyway, then they should be held accountable. It's not like they're some innocent bystander who got swept up in a bad situation. They were actively profiting from it, and now they're trying to hide behind a settlement. Not on our watch 
. And those "hundreds" of US military service members and civilians are just trying to cash in on a lawsuit for attention 
. And what's next? Suing McDonald's for allegedly funding ISIS through their Big Mac sales? 