Seoul Regional Customs referred three people to prosecution for smuggling packs of cigarettes and falsifying customs declarations to evade taxes. Authorities said the suspects re-imported 1.75 million exported cigarette packs by claiming they were being sent to a third country, while concealing the goods in a warehouse in Busan and declaring shipments as water bottles and newspapers. The scheme reportedly avoided around 6.1 billion won ($4.2 million) in taxes.
According to The Korea Times, the ringleader, already on trial for a similar smuggling case, had amassed significant assets, including a high-value Seoul apartment, which authorities have seized in coordination with prosecutors.
