<P> On 1 June 2015, Quebec Superior Court Justice Brian Riordan has awarded more than $15 billion to Quebec smokers in a landmark case that pitted them against three Canadian cigarette giants, including JTI - Macdonald Corp . </P> <P> In 2012 British American Tobacco, along with Philip Morris and Imperial Tobacco, sued the Australian Commonwealth government . At the High Court, they argued that the Commonwealth's plain packaging legislation was unconstitutional because it usurped the companies' intellectual property rights and good will on other than just terms . However, the challenge was unsuccessful . </P> <P> In November 2014, Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) fined BAT £ 650,000 after it determined that the company glutted the Belgian market with tobacco products with the likelihood these products would illegally find themselves back into the UK, with UK excise taxes not paid . The event highlighted a tobacco - smuggling issue that many anti-tobacco activists have been attempting to bring to light for years . Following several investigations, the HMRC reportedly seized more than 1.4 billion cigarettes and 330 tons of hand rolling tobacco in 2013 - 2014 . BAT denied all claims and described the allegation and fine as "unjustified" </P> <P> In late November 2015, an episode of BBC's Panorama program alleged that BAT was bribing officials in Rwanda, Burundi and Kenya in exchange for their limiting the implementation of the WHO's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in their respective countries . The episode showed documents provided by whistleblower Paul Hopkins, who worked for BAT in Kenya for 13 years . BAT denied the claims . </P>

How many employees does british american tobacco have