Thirteen arrests were made as part of a vast international investigation into tobacco trafficking. The largest clandestine cigarette factory in France was found near Rouen (Seine-Maritime) and 50 tonnes of tobacco were seized. According to France 3, this represents around 13 million euros on resale.
Never before has such a factory been discovered. This was possible thanks to information from the Polish authorities dating from January 2023. Nine people were then arrested (five Moldovan operators, two supervisors and Greek truck drivers) in Normandy thanks to this cooperation between European countries.
100 tons of materials seized in the clandestine factory
In total, more than 100 tonnes of products necessary for manufacturing cigarettes were found and seized: 55 tonnes of cigarettes, 50 tonnes of materials (filters, packets, labels, etc.) and 18 tonnes of waste were placed all around the local.
Several European criminal networks were involved in this trade. Europeans. Arrests took place in Normandy, the Netherlands, Greece, Germany, Bulgaria and Belgium, with several searches involved. The French specialized services (Junalco, OCLDI, Onaf, etc.) welcome this decision. On November 20, four new suspects were arrested, making 13 in total.
France
