1.5 Billion Untaxed Cigarettes Smuggled into EU Uncovered by Investigators

An international task force dismantled a smuggling ring responsible for €550 million in tax losses over several years.

Authorities in Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands arrested 10 suspects and conducted 15 raids in a coordinated operation targeting a cigarette smuggling ring.
The group illegally imported 150 shipping containers filled with untaxed cigarettes, primarily manufactured in Turkey and Iran, into the EU.
The operation caused an estimated €550 million in lost tax revenue, with the contraband disguised as legitimate shipments like building materials.
Investigations began in 2020 when Belgian customs flagged suspicious containers, leading to the formation of a joint international investigation team.
The smuggling network used falsified shipping documents and fake recipient information to evade detection during customs checks.