 Three major operations against tobacco smuggling have been successfully completed

The Tax Agency has seized more than one million packets of contraband tobacco in three separate operations, all of which were completed this week. The seized cigarettes might have fetched over four million euros on the market.

 

Operation 'Algarrobo'

On 17 and 18 January, the Tax Agency completed the so-called operation "Algarrobo" with the arrest of 19 members of one of the most active tobacco smuggling organisations, which operated all year round. In the operation, 450,000 packets of contraband tobacco were seized in an industrial warehouse in Griñón, Madrid. The tobacco had a total value of more than 1,800,000 euros.

The final phase of the operation had begun on 13 January when a suspicious container from Dubai was detected and unloaded at the port of Malaga whose customs declaration indicated that it contained artificial flowers. The container was followed by officials of the Tax Agency to an industrial warehouse in Griñón, where the smuggling organisation was waiting for its arrival on the 17th. On arrival at the ship, the nine people waiting for the shipment were detained. Once the container was opened, 450,000 packets of Yesmoke brand tobacco were found inside, with a sanitary legend in English and without tax seals.

In addition to the arrests in Griñón, ten other arrests have been made: one in Santiago de Compostela, three in Silleda (Pontevedra), one in Vigo, four in Madrid and one in Seseña (Toledo). The detainees are accused of involvement in crimes of smuggling with organisation, money laundering, against public finances, industrial property, forgery and against public health. Among those arrested is the ringleader, who had already been investigated in the 1990s for his alleged involvement in smuggling tobacco from Andorra, a country with which he had strong links.

In addition to the arrests, five searches of private homes have been carried out: two in Madrid, three in Silleda (Pontevedra) and one in Santiago de Compostela;  and five transport company registers: one in Santiago de Compostela, two in Madrid city, one in Fuenlabrada and one in Barajas. Computer audits of all the organisation's computers have been carried out on the records with the support of a specialised unit of the Tax Agency Inspectorate.

The property branch of the organisation, which had more than 60 properties, has also been dismantled: houses, country houses, industrial buildings and commercial premises in Santiago de Compostela, Silleda, Almería, Madrid and Castellón, which have been seized and in which the substantial profits from their criminal activity were invested. A valuation of the properties is not yet available.

The destination of part of the seized contraband tobacco was the southern part of Galicia, where the necessary infrastructure for its distribution was in place. With this operation, the criminal organisation has been dismantled at all levels: the leaders of it, those in charge of the negotiations for the acquisition of the merchandise, those in charge of hiding the tobacco in Customs, the transporters and the distributors to the different points of sale.

The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) has collaborated in the operation and it has been the result of a long investigation carried out by the Customs Surveillance units of the Tax Agency in Galicia, directed by the Magistrate of the Court of Instruction No. 2 of Santiago de Compostela. The operation remains open.

 

Seizure in Barcelona

The Tax Agency also seized 518,000 packets of contraband tobacco in the port of Barcelona on 17 January. The tobacco, presumably counterfeit, was transported in a container coming from China and with end-use of Algeria. There were 486,000 packs of Marlboro cigarettes and 32,000 packs of other brands. The total market value could exceed 2 million euros. OLAF has also collaborated in this operation.

 

Operation ‘Vlad’

Finally, the Tax Agency has concluded the operation 'Vlad', which has been developed between 15 November 2011 and 15 January 2012, carried out by the Customs Surveillance of the Tax Agency. The objective was to control consignments suspected of containing contraband tobacco shipped by air either in travellers' luggage or as air cargo. The tobacco came from markets where it is cheaper due to low taxation (Canary Islands, Russia and Ukraine) and was destined for the Peninsula, Balearic Islands, Ceuta and Melilla.

The Tax Agency has seized 141,432 packets of different brands, 102.7 kilos of cigarettes and 1,275 cigars in the course of operation 'Vlad', all smuggled tobacco. The market value could exceed 200,000 euros.