Dutch Customs announced that it seized 106 million illicit cigarettes during the first half of 2026 as authorities intensified efforts against what officials describe as an increasingly important revenue source for organized crime. The majority of the illegal cigarettes were intercepted in sea containers, prompting Customs to expand its joint enforcement unit with the Fiscal Information and Investigation Service (FIOD) and deploy new detection algorithms at Schiphol Airport to identify travelers carrying excess tobacco products.
Customs Director-General Nanette van Schelve said tobacco smuggling has become a “fixed revenue model” for criminal networks alongside cannabis, with the Netherlands’ high tobacco excise taxes continuing to make the illicit trade attractive.
