Operation 'Turia', a combined operation of the Tax Agency and the Guardia Civil

• The stash was hidden inside a container from Bangkok, Thailand, which, according to the documentation provided, was supposed to transport tobacco, and which was destined for a company in Manises.
• The smugglers were surprised in an industrial estate in Villamarchante, Valencia, at the time of unloading the container, when they were trying to transfer the tobacco to a large truck registered in Estonia and two more rental vehicles.
• During the course of the operation, 9 people have been arrested, one Spanish and another eight from Eastern European countries.

August 1, 2017.- Customs Surveillance Officials from the Valencia Tax Agency and agents from the Territorial Judicial Police Team of the Civil Guard of Ribarroja del Turia, intervened on August 19 July in Villamarchante, Valencia, a total of 449,980 packs of contraband tobacco that were hidden in a container from Bangkok (Thailand) that, according to what was declared in the documentation presented at Customs, was supposed to transport footwear.

The actions of the so-called 'Turia' operation began when the General Subdirectorate of Customs Surveillance Operations of the Tax Agency alerted its Valencia Regional Area about the possible arrival of a significant shipment of contraband tobacco in one of the containers that was going to unload the ship 'Basle Express' of the shipping company 'Camar', in the Port of Valencia and coming from Thailand.

After the arrival of the vessel was confirmed on the 16th, and unloading began at the dock, the suspicious container was located, immediately ordering its control through the Customs Risk Analysis Unit. The criminal organization responsible for this crime presented a request to Customs for the import of this container, declaring shoes and setting the destination to a company in Manises (Valencia).

Container Tracking

The transport of the container to its destination was carried out under discreet surveillance by Customs Surveillance and Civil Guard officials, finally arriving, not at its declared destination in Manises, but at a warehouse in the industrial estate of a nearby town, Villamarchante, where nine individuals were surprised. in the middle of unloading the container when they were transferring the load to a heavy truck with Estonian license plates and two more vehicles that the organization had rented for the occasion.

At the unloading site, the existence of a small number of shoe boxes was found arranged at the beginning of the container, behind the doors, and behind the boxes, hidden, the rest of the load made up of other types of boxes, 900 in total. , inside which contraband tobacco was discovered, adding up to a total of 449,980 packs.

At that time, a total of nine people were arrested, one of them Spanish and directly related to the importing company, and another eight from Eastern European countries.

Possible counterfeiting

The tobacco, apparently of the 'American Legend' brand, is manufactured in the European Union and, however, the origin of the seized packs is Thailand, so it cannot be ruled out that they are counterfeit, which is why from the competent authorities a report that determines its falsity or authenticity.

The 449,980 packs of tobacco seized have a market value, retail price, close to 1.8 million euros, and the corresponding taxes far exceed one and a half million.

So far this year, this is the second large-scale intervention of tobacco packs when they were illegally introduced into containers by sea through the Port of Valencia. The first was done on May 3, when a cache of 300,000 'Dunston' brand packets was intercepted, the tax fraud of which would have reached 1.2 million euros.

The detainees were brought to justice on the morning of July 21 and by resolution of the Court of First Instance and Instruction number 6 of Lliria were released with charges. Likewise, the seized vehicles, the truck with Estonian registration and two passenger cars, plus 24,700 euros in cash seized from those investigated at the time of their arrest, have been made available to the judicial body.