Follow up operation nets millions in seized tobacco products

The action day was July 7. Image: Europol

Spain’s Policia National and Portugal’s Guarda Nacional Republicana, supported by Europol and the Spanish customs authorities, dismantled an organised crime group involved in excise fraud and the smuggling of tobacco products.

The action day on 7 July 2021 led to 82 location searches, 70 in Portugal and 12 in Spain, targeting private residences, warehouses, garages and vehicles; five arrests in Portugal and 12 in Spain; seizure of eight tons of tobacco and cigarettes worth 113,500 euros along with seven weapons, 24 vehicles and 216,000 euros.

The criminal network was involved in the illegal import of large quantities of tobacco leaves and strips from Spain into Portugal. This raw material served the illegal production of both cigarettes and tobacco for roll-your-own-cigarettes distributed on the Portuguese black market.

Earlier, in mid-June 2021, Spanish authorities discovered and dismantled cutting and processing facilities. The tobacco processed there was shipped to Portugal, where it was stored in different warehouses before being further distributed. Since the investigation was launched in May 2020, the Portuguese and the Spanish authorities have detained 23 individuals and seized about 1.8 million illicit cigarettes along with 11 tons of tobacco, all of which was worth about 3.2 million euros.

Illicit trade in tobacco for roll-your-own-cigarettes continues to be a relevant and widespread criminal trend in Portugal, Europol said in a statement on July 13.

“Certain ‘cheap white’ cigarette brands have become so popular on the black market that criminal networks have started to counterfeit them rather than smuggle them. This illegal activity generates millions of euros in profit for the involved criminal organisations,” it added.

Europol coordinated operational activities, facilitated the information exchange and provided analytical support. Europol provided financial support for the formation of joint Portuguese-Spanish patrols.

During the action days, Europol deployed experts to Lisbon and Sevilla to support the investigators in the field with real-time analysis of operational information against Europol’s databases. Technical support was also provided by extracting data stored on mobile devices.


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Deirdre Tynan

Deirdre Tynan is an award-winning journalist who enjoys bringing the best in news reporting to Spain’s largest English-language newspaper, Euro Weekly News. She has previously worked at The Mirror, Ireland on Sunday and for news agencies, media outlets and international organisations in America, Europe and Asia. A huge fan of British politics and newspapers, Deirdre is equally fascinated by the political scene in Madrid and Sevilla. She moved to Spain in 2018 and is based in Jaen.

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