The Tax Agency dismantles an international smuggling scheme following the seizure of 1.4 million cigarette packets

Operation 'Tileros'

• Nine people were arrested, ten searches carried out and high-end vehicles, IT equipment and 50,000 euros in cash were seized
• The organisation introduces tobacco through the "cambiazo" technique, exchanging the identification numbers of the containers with the legal shipment
• This action is added to the seizure in the last few days in Cádiz of a container with another 400,000 packs of smuggled cigarettes

December 26, 2013.- The Tax Agency has dismantled an international tobacco smuggling ring after more than a year of investigations that have led to the seizure of 1,382,000 valued packs of tobacco at more than 5.4 million euros. The operation, named 'Trileros' due to the "cambiazo" strategy that the smuggler organisation used to introduce the illegal goods in EU, has concluded with the arrest of nine individuals in Madrid, the Canary Islands and Algeciras, among which are those responsible for the organisation.

Operation 'Trileros' began in November 2012 with an investigation focused on the activities of an international organisation dedicated to the large-scale introduction of smuggled cigarettes in Spain. The organisation took advantage of the usual movement of legal goods to camouflage the tobacco using the 'cambiazo' technique. The technical involves using two containers, one with legal goods, generally of little value, and another with tobacco. In the port of Algeciras the smugglers placed stickers to containers through which they swapped the numbering and destination of both.

In November 2012, the Tax Agency detected the first exchange of containers in Algeciras: a container with tobacco destined to be exported to Gambia and another with sticks and gravel declared as horse-related material, bound for Lisbon. The smuggler organisation exchanged the numbering and destinations, so that the tobacco container is sent to Portugal simulating that it is horse-related equipment.

Once in Lisbon, the cigarettes were reintroduced for their illegal sale, but the Tax Agency gave notice to the Portuguese authorities and they seized the container and the 462,250 packs of smuggled cigarettes, with a value of over 1,800,000 euros.

Fall of the organisation

Again in November 2013, the band attempted a second exchange of containers. The container with smuggled cigarettes aimed to be exchanged for another that allegedly contained equestrian equipment, but that only transported decorative materials. This second activity, on the 12th of last month, saw the intervention of other 459,000 packs of cigarettes, also with a value of more than 1,800,000 euros.

As a result of this seizure led to the arrest in Madrid, the Canary Islands and Algeciras of nine members of the organization, including two Bulgarian citizens, the alleged leaders of the organisation. Five searches were also carried out in Algeciras and another five in Madrid, as a result of which computer material, abundant documentation, mobile phones, nearly 50,000 euros in cash, two high-end vehicles and 4,180 packets of cigarettes valued at a little more than 16,000 euros were seized.

Third container

The investigations revealed that the band, before being dismantled, had started a third exchange of containers, which led to a new action by officials of the Tax Agency, and resulted in the seizure, on 21 November, of a container from Rotterdam with 457,200 packs of tobacco and a street value of over 1,800,000 euros.

In total, the 'Trileros' operation led to the seizure of 1,382,630 packets of cigarettes that were destined for the illegal sale in Spain. The organisation used two premises and an industrial warehouse in Coslada, Madrid for storage. The documentation seized is being studied and analysed, so further arrests are not being ruled out in the coming days. The investigation was supervised by the 2nd Court of Instruction in Algeciras.

Seizure in Cádiz.

Outside of operation 'Trileros', the Tax Agency has recently seized a container with 403,000 packs of smuggled cigarettes. The tobacco was seized using risk analysis tools in the port of Cádiz, in a container whose documentation indicated that it transported furniture.

These actions form part of the fight against fraud carried out by the Tax Agency in its pursuit of guaranteeing the supply chain and preventing tax and customs fraud.

Customs Supervision: Presentation of charges for smuggling and related offences