The EU anti-fraud office’s (OLAF) and member state authorities seize 616 million illicit cigarettes, 140 tons of raw tobacco and 6 tons of water pipe tobacco in 2023, preventing the loss of over €151 million to EU and national budgets.
It its 2023 report, OLAF details its operations against fraud in multiple areas, including the tobacco trade.
Of the 616 million seized illicit cigarettes, 140.6 million comprised illicit production within the EU. And additional 110.1 million cigarettes were seized in Serbia and 34.25 million were seized in Israel.
Of the cigarettes seized at EU borders, the largest number (84.62 million) came from Turkey. Other prominent origins included the United Arab Emirates (76.18 million cigarettes), Montenegro (62.23 million) and Indonesia (52.5 million).