This Act mandated that persons possessing, transporting, purchasing or distributing more than 60,000 cigarettes with no evidence of tax payments were subject to felony prosecution.

Tobacco Diversion

ATF's Criminal and Regulatory Enforcement Divisions tackle additional responsibilities in 1978 when Congress passes a new law: interstate cigarette smuggling. Agents make the first case on February 25, 1979 in Rhode Island, beginning a campaign against cigarette bootlegging which defrauds the government of billions of dollars each year.