Armenian Counterfeiters Arrested in France

Authorities dismantled an Armenian criminal gang in France, detaining 11 individuals and seizing more than 2.5 tons of counterfeit cigarettes, along with €100,000 ($111,689) in cash and €150,000 in winning lottery tickets, according to Europol. Four guns and various types of ammunition were also confiscated.

The investigation was completed by French Customs with support of Europol’s European Financial and Economic Crime Centre and the French National Police. They simultaneously searched 13 sites in and around Lyon, France.

The seized cigarettes were imported from different European countries before being stored in warehouses and then sold on the black market in multiple French cities.