Three important operations

• After 'Truyeye', two more operations have been carried out against schemes with identical fraud mechanics that have led to the seizure of 650,000 packets worth more than 2.6 million euros
  
• By using this maritime route, organizations obtain a higher profit due to the higher price of tobacco in the destination country.

March 26, 2013.- Investigations carried out by the Tax Agency in relation to an organized circuit of export of contraband tobacco from the port of Bilbao to Ireland have led to the seizure, in just one month, of almost 650,000 packs of tobacco with an estimated market value of more than 2.6 million euros. The higher price of tobacco in Irish territory, as well as the good road communications that the port of Bilbao has and its high merchant traffic with the British Isles have made tobacco smuggling through this route especially attractive.

The trigger for the detection of this smuggling route came with the 'Truyeye' operation, in which officials from the Tax Agency in the Basque Country dismantled an organization that had sent a total of twelve by sea from the port of Bilbao to Ireland. containers loaded with around 4.5 million packs of tobacco, with an estimated value of around 30 million euros.

After that operation, controls on goods following the same route were intensified in the port of Bilbao.

As a result of these controls, on February 8, the Risk Analysis Unit of the Maritime Customs seized in the port of Bilbao a container loaded with 360,000 packs of tobacco, with a value of 1,410,800 euros, which was also destined Ireland. The operation culminated in the seizure in Barcelona of another 72,000 packs, valued at 284,400 euros, and the arrest of three people.

The alleged perpetrators of this organization deactivated on the 8th had no known link with the participants in the shipments detected in 'Truyeye', but the mechanics were identical.

Finally, 20 days later, on February 28, Customs Surveillance of the Basque Country detected a new container, which on this occasion concealed 215,600 packs of tobacco with a value of 937,860 euros. The container, which according to customs documentation was supposed to transport rock wool, in reality only included two pallets of this insulating material used in construction.

It was merely a screen to try to hide the tobacco from superficial inspection. However, thanks to a non-intrusive inspection with scanning equipment, the hidden tobacco was discovered. Once again the fraudulent mechanics were repeated.

More price, more profit

The causes of this upsurge in tobacco smuggling may be due, among other reasons, to the current economic situation, which has led to the search for new sources of fraudulent income, assuming risks inherent to these practices that, in other circumstances, may not be possible. would produce.

Two factors may be decisive in why smuggling organizations have opted for this maritime route and the market in the British Isles. On the one hand, the economic factor, given that the resulting economic benefits are greater. While the average price of a pack of legal tobacco in Spain is 4 euros, in Ireland the average price rises to 8.5 euros.

The second factor is logistical in nature. By using this route, smuggling organizations benefit from the extensive road communications network that the port of Bilbao has, the high frequency of ships leaving for the British Isles and a high traffic of containers with legal merchandise. which allows containers with illicit products to be camouflaged.

The harm of smuggling in exports

Although the direct tax damage of smuggling, on this occasion, is concentrated in the third country where the merchandise is finally marketed, the impact of this activity for the Spanish Treasury is no less important, given that the benefits obtained from smuggling are not declared. , but either they go on to profit directly to those responsible, or they are laundered through legal businesses of the organizations, also serving as a source of financing for new operations.

At the same time, and given that this tobacco is not subject to the relevant health controls, the harmful impact on health that may arise from its consumption has different severity depending on whether the tobacco is fake or not. Both lack the controls implemented on tobacco sold in tobacco shops but, in the case of counterfeit tobacco, the damage can be even more serious, since the analyzes carried out reveal a high concentration of tars and heavy metals, in addition to other substances incompatible with tobacco.