Auditors from Greece’s Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) have dismantled an organized cigarette-smuggling operation, seizing 7.4 million cigarettes of well-known brands, the largest quantity ever found inside the country.
Acting on intelligence and data from AADE’s information systems, auditors carried out coordinated inspections at car dealerships, a coffin-making business and several storage facilities. Along with the cigarettes, they confiscated a heavy-duty tractor-trailer with altered identifying features and fake license plates, a private car, a motorcycle and a forklift.
According to the authority, the findings point to a well-organized network that methodically stored, transported and funneled large volumes of tobacco products onto the market. It relied on rented premises, a fleet of vehicles and trucks fitted with forged plates and falsified identification details.
The cigarettes were packed in wooden crates, ready for distribution. The crates had been lined with metal bars to keep the contraband from being detected by X-ray scanners.
Evaded customs duties and taxes exceed 1.4 million euros. Samples have been sent to the State Chemical Laboratory and to the brands’ representatives to verify their authenticity.
Four people were arrested and brought before a prosecutor, and a case file has been opened. The investigation continues to identify other suspects and any linked networks.
