In another black eye for the beleaguered agency that regulates guns and investigates tobacco trafficking, a new report found that federal agents lost track of 2.1 million cartons of cigarettes and paid an informant more than $4.9 million without requiring him to account for his expenses.
“We found a significant lack of oversight and controls to ensure that cash, cigarettes, equipment and other assets used . . . were accurately tracked, properly safeguarded and protected from misuse,” Michael E. Horowitz, the Justice Department inspector general, said in a 68-page report released Wednesday
The inspector general’s office examined 20 undercover operations by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in which the agency generated $162 million in income as it attempted to build cases against cigarette smugglers. The investigations were conducted from 2006 to 2011.
In 2004, ATF was granted the same authority as that held by the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration to use proceeds generated from some investigations to offset operational expenses..................(more)
Horowitz said that in one case, which operated without proper ATF approval, approximately $15 million worth of cigarettes were sold undercover in an 18-month period and a confidential informant was allowed to keep more than $4.9 million of the $5.2 million in profit generated without submitting adequate documentation supporting his expenses.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world...f197e4-2604-11e3-b3e9-d97fb087acd6_story.html
such a weird OP title i posted it here..
Isn't this the same agency that lost the gun running in Fast and Furious??
“We found a significant lack of oversight and controls to ensure that cash, cigarettes, equipment and other assets used . . . were accurately tracked, properly safeguarded and protected from misuse,” Michael E. Horowitz, the Justice Department inspector general, said in a 68-page report released Wednesday
The inspector general’s office examined 20 undercover operations by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in which the agency generated $162 million in income as it attempted to build cases against cigarette smugglers. The investigations were conducted from 2006 to 2011.
In 2004, ATF was granted the same authority as that held by the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration to use proceeds generated from some investigations to offset operational expenses..................(more)
Horowitz said that in one case, which operated without proper ATF approval, approximately $15 million worth of cigarettes were sold undercover in an 18-month period and a confidential informant was allowed to keep more than $4.9 million of the $5.2 million in profit generated without submitting adequate documentation supporting his expenses.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world...f197e4-2604-11e3-b3e9-d97fb087acd6_story.html
such a weird OP title i posted it here..
Isn't this the same agency that lost the gun running in Fast and Furious??
