Operation of the Tax Agency, Civil Guard and National Police

• The network operated internationally with factories and warehouses in several locations in the province of Alicante.

• In one of the warehouses, areas have even been set up as housing for workers.

• Various personal belongings, beds and remains of a vitamin D compound used to alleviate the lack of sun exposure were found at the site.

April 11, 2025.- The Tax Agency, Civil Guard and National Police, within the framework of the joint operation 'Landfill/Alibobo24' have dismantled a criminal organization dedicated to the manufacture and distribution of counterfeit tobacco nationally and internationally. A total of seven people have been arrested, and more than 328,000 packs of counterfeit tobacco have been seized, along with industrial machinery and materials used for its production.

The investigation began in November 2024 when the Onil Local Police (Alicante) detected a large quantity of tobacco and manufacturing materials abandoned at a local recycling center. As a result of the subsequent investigation, officers from the Orihuela Traffic Detachment and the Callosa de Segura Civil Guard were able to stop a truck transporting 328,000 packs of counterfeit tobacco and identify an illegal manufacturing network with several industrial warehouses in the province of Alicante.

The organization had a perfectly organized infrastructure, with factories and warehouses in Mutxamel, Xixona, Elche and Alicante. There, the tobacco was processed and prepared for distribution in Spain and abroad. During the searches, officers seized 100 pallets of shredded tobacco, 10,000 liters of white glue, paper rolls with trademark logos, and cardboard sheets for making cigarette packs, in addition to other materials related to illegal cigarette production.

In the Mutxamel warehouse, where the main manufacturing line was located, agents discovered areas used as workers' housing. Various personal belongings, beds, and remains of a vitamin D compound used to alleviate lack of sun exposure were found at the site.

This illegal activity carried out by the investigated organization causes numerous harms, such as unfair competition for legitimate operators and the financing of other illegal activities. Furthermore, since this tobacco is not subject to the relevant health controls, the harmful impact on public health that can result from its consumption is particularly serious.

Seven arrested and searched in several locations

The operation, which was jointly investigated by the Tax Agency's Customs Surveillance Unit, the Organized Crime and Anti-Drug Team (EDOA) of the Alicante Judicial Police Organic Unit, and the Special Response Group for Organized Crime (GRECO Levante) of the National Police, with the collaboration of Europol, resulted in the arrest of seven people aged between 24 and 69.

The arrests took place in Santomera, San Juan, Aspe, Castalla, and Alicante, and searches were carried out at seven homes and industrial warehouses linked to the organization.

The detainees, who are charged with crimes against public health, smuggling, industrial property, and organized crime, have been brought before Elche's Investigative Court No. 2, which has ordered two of them to be remanded in custody.

The operation is ongoing, and future arrests, both in Spain and abroad, are not ruled out. Investigators are cooperating with other authorities and international law enforcement agencies to locate other potential suspects and clarify all the details of this tobacco smuggling network.