The Briton was fined for trying to smuggle undeclared goods through Geneva airport. This is the second case in a week.
A 37-year-old British man was arrested for cigarette smuggling at Geneva airport. He crossed the border post last Sunday with 4061 packs of cigarettes. The goods were intended for France and the United Kingdom.
Another traveler, a 38-year-old Frenchman, had been arrested two days earlier with 2,660 undeclared packs of cigarettes, the Federal Office of Customs and Border Security (OFDT) said on Friday. The goods, intended for France, came from Istanbul. His personal effects also contained a counterfeit bag of luxury leather goods.
Seizures of contraband cigarettes rising
These two people were fined for contravening the Customs Act, the VAT Act and the Tobacco Tax Act. The cigarettes were destroyed.
Since the start of the year, Geneva airport has experienced around fifteen cases of smuggling of at least 20,000 cigarettes and five cases of at least 10,000 cigarettes.
Seizures at the three major Swiss airports (Geneva, Zurich, Basel) have increased compared to last year. The number of contraband cigarettes seized is already higher than in 2023specifies the OFDF.
The incriminated cigarettes mainly come from Turkey and the Democratic Republic of Congo via Ethiopia, we read further in the press release. In most cases, they are intended for the French market. (ats)
Thousands of motorists will head south during the Ascension and Pentecost long weekends. Alternatives to avoid the Gotthard exist, but these routes will also be in high demand. Here are the worst places.
Just a few weeks after the Easter holidays, Swiss roads will once again be in high demand over the next two weekends. The Ascension (May 9-12) and Pentecost (May 18-20) bridges will push many motorists to take the southern route. Result: major traffic jams are expectedindicates this Monday the TCS.
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