The Belgian driver is in prison.
On January 15, 2025, on a control mission on the A6, the Dijon customs internal surveillance brigade checked a van registered in France with the help of Gevrey-Chambertin.
The driver, of Belgian nationality, declares that he comes from Brussels and is going to Orange. Questioned by customs officers, he declared that he was transporting tobacco and specified that he was paid to carry out this transport without knowing the quantity.
When the rear doors of the van opened, customs officers noticed the presence of many boxes of the same appearance. Opening one of them revealed 50 cartons of cigarettes bearing the “Marlboro red” brand, devoid of any tax sticker.
115 boxes containing a total of 1,150 kg of cigarettes, or 1.15 tonnes, were seized.
Customs officers also discovered Belgian registration plates in the van corresponding to the vehicle's paper: the van was therefore falsely registered in the normal French series during the customs check.
The offender was tried in immediate appearance on January 17. He was sentenced to: – 10 months of criminal imprisonment with continued detention;
– 10 years ban from French territory;
– a customs fine of €690,000.
The confiscation of the vehicle and goods was ordered.
The fight against tobacco trafficking is one of the priority missions of customs. In 2023, 521 tonnes of tobacco were seized nationally. The services of the regional directorate of Dijon seized 1,894 kilos of contraband tobacco.
France
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