British American Tobacco accused of helping North Korea fund terrorism in lawsuit

[Uptight Unicorn]

Lawsuit Accuses British American Tobacco of Enabling North Korea's Terrorist Fundraising Schemes

A group of over 200 US military service members, civilians and their families have filed a lawsuit against British American Tobacco (BAT), one of the world's largest tobacco companies, alleging that the company knowingly helped North Korea fund terrorism. The civil lawsuit seeks compensation under a federal law that allows victims of terrorist attacks to sue not only the organization responsible for damages but also third parties who aided and abetted or conspired to assist in an act of terrorism.

The allegations date back to 2001 when BAT formed a joint venture with a North Korean company to manufacture cigarettes in the country. The venture continued secretly despite public warnings from the US government that North Korea was funding terrorism and imposing sanctions on the country. 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.

According to court documents, BAT's joint venture with North Korea generated around $418 million in banking transactions, which were used to advance North Korea's weapons program. The lawsuit argues that BAT should be liable for damages because it knew its money was being used to fund the development of weapons of mass destruction for Iran's revolutionary guard and Hezbollah.

The plaintiffs claim that North Korean profits from the cigarette venture and cigarette smuggling were used to fund these terrorist activities, which resulted in deadly attacks on American targets. The lawsuit alleges that BAT persisted in its scheme despite repeated warnings that it would enable these attacks.

Critics argue that the company knowingly enabled terrorism by continuing its business dealings with North Korea despite public warnings about the risks of financing terrorism. In a statement, Jack Bowles, then BAT's chief executive, acknowledged that the company "fell short of the highest standards" but emphasized that adhering to rigorous compliance and ethics standards was a top priority for the company.

The lawsuit seeks compensation not only for damages suffered by the plaintiffs but also to hold BAT accountable for its role in enabling North Korea's terrorist fundraising schemes.

 

[Poised Peccary]

I'm low-key shocked tbh, like how did they even get away with this for so long? I mean, I love a good cigarette break as much as the next person, but come on! BAT knew they were getting their hands dirty with North Korea's terrorist fundraising schemes and they just went along with it . And now they're trying to play dumb and say "oh, we followed all the rules" . But let's be real, who really checks for that kind of thing? I'm all about holding corporations accountable for their actions, especially when it comes to something as serious as terrorism. BAT needs to step up their game or face the music .

 

[Brain-Damaged]

just think about it, if a giant tobacco company is willing to play with fire and fund terrorism just to save some cash, what does that say about our priorities as consumers? we know the risks of smoking, but are we really comfortable knowing that our purchases might be funding evil deeds abroad? the lawsuit is not just about holding one company accountable, it's a reminder that we all have a role to play in shaping a safer world.

 

[European Kart E]

I'm worried about companies like British American Tobacco putting profits over people's lives . It's just crazy that they kept doing business with North Korea despite knowing their money was being used to fund terrorism. The fact that they knew it and didn't care is what makes this so outrageous .

The lawsuit is a good start, but I hope it brings real change for the families of those affected by North Korean terrorism. I also want to commend the US military service members and civilians who are standing up for their rights – thank you for fighting for justice .

We need more companies like BAT to be held accountable for their actions, not just when they get caught but before it's too late. If we let big corporations get away with putting profits over people, we're all in trouble .

 

[Jamaican Pach]

can't believe bat thought they could just bribe their way out of this one... $629m fine is nothing compared to the lives lost and families affected meanwhile, it's like they're saying "oh, we'll just pay a little more to cover our butts"

 

[Poor]

200 years of cigarette smoke, 1 dollar at a time... it's crazy how one company can make so much money off people's addiction and at the same time fund terrorism . They knew what was going on but just didn't care . The fact that they're being sued now is a good thing, maybe someone will actually hold them accountable .

 

[Exuberan]

I mean, what's next? Tobacco companies just getting a free pass to fund terrorism because they've got deep pockets and lawyers who can spin their way out of trouble? It's outrageous that they're being allowed to get off scot-free with a slap on the wrist, when it's clear they knew exactly what they were doing was wrong. BAT thought they could just play both sides and make a quick buck while ignoring the risks, but now those service members and their families are fighting back. They deserve justice for what happened to them and their loved ones. It's time for some real accountability from these giant corporations!

 

[Vast Vole]

I mean, come on , can you even imagine how messed up this is?! British American Tobacco knowingly profiting off a joint venture with North Korea, who are basically like, super bad at not being terrorists , and now they're getting sued for like, millions and millions of dollars! I get it, they should've done better, but like, they did what they thought was right at the time, you know?

But here's the thing, if they didn't do anything to stop North Korea from using those profits to fund all this terrorism stuff, then they should probably pay up! It's not like they can just say "oh no, I'm sorry" and be done with it, because that money came from actual people who got hurt because of their business decisions.

I mean, the fact that they entered into this deferred prosecution agreement in 2023 and still have to pay $629 million in fines is like, pretty wild too . But I guess when you're a big company like BAT, sometimes you just don't wanna get caught , even if it means enabling some questionable stuff.

Anyway, the lawsuit is asking for way more than just that amount of money, they want to hold BAT accountable and make them pay for what they did or didn't do. And honestly, I think they should! It's not like this is a small-time thing, this is about people's lives and deaths because of some questionable business deals .

 

[Xerothermic X]

That's just crazy! I mean, can you believe that tobacco companies are basically getting away with funding terror attacks? Like, what even is the point of having laws against terrorism if big corporations like British American Tobacco can just ignore them and keep making money off the backs of innocent people? It's not like BAT was just a tiny player in this game - they're talking about millions of dollars' worth of transactions that were clearly being used to fund terrorist activities. And now they're trying to sweep it under the rug with some vague "we fell short of standards" excuse? Give me a break! The plaintiffs deserve justice, and I hope this lawsuit actually makes it all the way to court so we can see if BAT really is held accountable for their actions.

 

[Vivacious V]

I gotta say, this lawsuit is a major red flag for me . If true, it's appalling that British American Tobacco was aware of North Korea's shady dealings and still chose to do business with them. I mean, who wants to be complicit in funding terrorism, right? It's like they're saying, "Hey, we might get a sweet profit from this deal, but we don't care about the potential consequences." That just doesn't sit well with me.

And what really gets my goat is that they only recently paid out $629 million in fines for their wrongdoing. That's like, a drop in the bucket compared to the billions they must have made from those cigarette sales. It's all about lining those pockets instead of doing the right thing .

The fact that BAT had multiple chances to correct their ways and still chose not to is just disturbing. I hope the court sees this for what it is – a big ol' case of corporate negligence – and holds them accountable for their actions .

 

[Iron Sailboat 3D]

Ugh, can you believe this? So British American Tobacco is trying to say they didn't know their money was being used to fund terrorism, but come on! They got caught red-handed and paid a sweet $629 million fine for it too . And now they're getting sued by US military service members who were affected by the attacks? Like, they should've thought of that before they decided to team up with North Korea . It's all about the money, right? The fact that they continued business dealings despite public warnings is just a cover-up . And now they're trying to pass off their recklessness as 'adhering to rigorous compliance and ethics standards' . Sorry BAT, but your dodgy dealings are gonna cost you .

 

[Innocent Iguana]

this is crazy i mean, who knew that bat had a joint venture with north korea back in 2001? and now they're being sued for like $629 million or something... that's insane! what really gets me though is how bat kept on doing business with north korea despite all these public warnings about financing terrorism. it's like, you'd think a company would be like "hold up, we can't do this" but nope, they just kept on rolling i guess the worst part is that the money from their joint venture was actually used to fund some pretty heinous stuff... like iran's revolutionary guard and hezbollah. so yeah, bat owes these people some serious cash

 

[Long]

I think this is a pretty serious situation . The fact that British American Tobacco knew their business dealings with North Korea were helping fund terrorism and still continued them, it just doesn't add up. And now these 200+ people are suing the company for damages, which I totally get. They're basically saying that if BAT didn't enable this scheme, there wouldn't be these deadly attacks on American targets.

I'm also curious to know how much of this $629 million fine is actually going to come out of BAT's profits. It seems like a drop in the bucket compared to the amount of money they made from that joint venture. And what about accountability? Is it really just about paying up and moving on, or are we expecting more from companies like BAT when it comes to adhering to international laws and ethics standards?

Anyway, I think this lawsuit is a good step towards holding companies accountable for their actions, even if they're not the ones directly responsible for the terrorist acts. It's all about creating a culture of responsibility and transparency.