Guardia Civil close illegal tobacco factories across Andalucia

ALTHOUGH it is often claimed that Andorra and Gibraltar are the main areas where cigarettes and tobacco are smuggled into Spain, there is a huge illegal manufacturing industry in the Country itself.

The Guardia Civil in the aptly named Aromas del Bosque operation have arrested 12 people allegedly involved in the illegal production and distribution of tobacco products and 34,800 kilos of tobacco as well as 26,000 packs of cigarettes worth €600,000 have been seized.

This clandestine operation involved a group that operated the provinces of Cadiz, Malaga, Sevilla, Cordoba and Granada and investigations have been ongoing since 2019.

According to the investigation, an element of pre-packed tobacco had been illegally exported from Gibraltar although the bulk of the product was ‘home produced’ in Spain and much was sold online through different warehouses scattered across Andalucia.

In addition to the pre-packed tobacco, it is claimed that the cigarettes which were seized also emanated on the Rock despite actions by the Gibraltar Customs and Government to stamp on illegal smuggling of tobacco across the border.