On December 12 at 2:40 a.m., Limoges customs personnel intercepted a Mercedes vehicle which was traveling on the A20 motorway in a north-south direction. On board: a couple whose wife was 56 years old and the man was 58 years old. The couple was checked at the “Limoges Ouest” rest area.
During the search of the vehicle, customs officers discovered 140 jars of 300 g of rolling tobacco and 15 Winston brand cartridges.
All of this is around €26,000 in market value in France. In the vehicle, customs officers found a ticket attesting to the cash payment for the purchase of tobacco in Luxembourg for an amount of €6,845.
Ten round trips to Luxembourg
Initially placed in customs detention at the Limoges police station, the couple were made available to investigators from the territorial crime division and placed in police custody. A search of their home led to the discovery of a second tobacco purchase receipt dated December 7 for an amount of €6,538 and €285 in cash.
Accounting documents were also found. The investigation carried out made it possible to count ten round trips between the Luxembourg border and Limousin since September 12.
Understood, the man admitted at least the facts and to having made only two purchases of tobacco in Luxembourg. At the end of their extension of police custody, the judicial police officers notified them of two summonses for April 7, 2025 at 10 a.m., then at 2 p.m. They will have to explain the two first-class customs offenses held against them, namely the smuggling of manufactured tobacco products and the possession of tobacco without supporting documents.
The contraband merchandise was seized with a view to its destruction.
Related News :