Joint operation of the Tax Agency and the National Police

• This is the largest national seizure of cigarettes transported in a container so far this year.
• One person is under investigation in Spain

19 August 2022.- Customs Surveillance officials of the Tax Agency, in a joint operation with the National Police, have seized, in the port of Algeciras, more than 10.3 million tobacco cigarettes in a container from India and have taken a statement, as an investigated but not detained person, from one of the persons responsible for the company that appeared in the maritime documentation.

Investigative groups detected a shipment from India, which was declared as “sheets and other bedding”; However, its parameters did not seem to correspond with what was stated. This raised the suspicions of investigators who have been working for months to detect illicit trafficking and the use of shell companies, so a joint operation was established to proceed with the inspection of the container.

Upon opening the equipment, it was confirmed that the transported goods were 1,032 boxes of tobacco cigarettes, whose market value would amount to more than 2,100,000 euros, proceeding to seize them and subsequently, to take a statement as a non-detained suspect from one of the managers of the company used in the maritime shipment.

This operation resulted in the largest seizure of cigarettes transported in containers in Spain so far this year.

The actions carried out, together with the effects and merchandise seized, have been made available to the competent judicial authority of Algeciras for investigation.

Members of the Customs Surveillance Operational Unit of Málaga and Group II of the UDYCO of the Local Police Station of La Línea de la Concepción have participated in the investigations, who continue with the efforts aimed at finding and locating those responsible for the illicit shipment.