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Tag: Customs

  • Ireland Customs Seizes 11M Illegal Cigarettes

    Ireland Customs Seizes 11M Illegal Cigarettes

    Revenue officers in Ireland seized about 11.4 million illicit cigarettes at Dublin Port following a targeted inspection on April 30. The shipment, which arrived from Rotterdam and was declared as cardboard packaging, was flagged through routine risk profiling and uncovered with the assistance of a detector dog and mobile X-ray scanner. The cigarettes, including brands such as Lambert & Butler Silver, Superkings Blue, and Richmond, are estimated to be worth more than €10.8 million, with a potential tax loss to the state of over €8.4 million.

    Authorities said investigations are ongoing and noted the seizure forms part of broader efforts to combat illegal tobacco trade and the shadow economy.

  • Philippines Bust Seizes $23M in Illicit Vape Products

    Philippines Bust Seizes $23M in Illicit Vape Products

    The Philippines Department of Trade and Industry and the Bureau of Customs seized P1.4 billion ($23.3 million) worth of illegal vaporized nicotine products in a warehouse raid in San Rafael Village, Navotas City, confiscating over 3.2 million vape devices and pods along with branded promotional items. The shipments lacked Philippine Standard Licenses and Import Commodity Clearance, violating Republic Act 11900 and related Customs regulations, and are now subject to forfeiture and condemnation proceedings to prevent reentry into the market. Authorities warned that violators may face substantial fines, imprisonment, revocation of licenses, and recall of noncompliant products.

  • Ireland Seizes €8.5 Million Worth of Illegal Cigarettes

    Ireland Seizes €8.5 Million Worth of Illegal Cigarettes

    Irish authorities seized about 9 million illegal cigarettes at Dublin Port during an inspection of a container arriving from Rotterdam. Officers from Revenue Irish Tax and Customs discovered the cigarettes, branded “Richmond,” concealed in a shipment declared as food after conducting routine risk profiling, assisted by a detector dog and a mobile X-ray scanner.

    The cigarettes have an estimated retail value of more than €8.5 million and represent a potential loss to the Irish Exchequer of over €6.6 million in unpaid taxes. Authorities said the seizure forms part of ongoing efforts to combat the illegal tobacco trade and the wider shadow economy, with investigations continuing.

  • Thai Smugglers Move to ‘Ant-Worker’ Tactics as Seizures Increase

    Thai Smugglers Move to ‘Ant-Worker’ Tactics as Seizures Increase

    The Thai Customs Department has intensified its crackdown on tax-evading goods, seizing more than 27.3 million foreign cigarettes and 205,445 e-cigarette units worth an estimated 169.6 million baht ($5.4 million) between October 2025 and mid-February 2026. Director-General Phanthong Loykulnunt said smuggling networks have shifted to “ant-worker” tactics, moving contraband in small parcels via private couriers and concealing goods in commercial lorries to evade checkpoints, prompting authorities to deploy handheld X-ray scanners nationwide. Major operations included a Central Thailand raid with Mae Klong Customs that uncovered 12.5 million cigarettes valued at 62 million baht ($2 million), seizures worth 36 million baht ($1.2 million) in Songkhla and Tak Bai, and a Bangkok raid in Khan Na Yao district that netted hybrid e-cigarettes and IQOS devices worth 10 million baht ($320,000). At Bangkok Port, Customs and the Department of Special Investigation inspected seven overdue containers, discovering over 46,000 disposable vapes hidden among legitimate cargo.

  • Dutch Customs Seize 12.5M Illegal Cigarettes in Two Weeks

    Dutch Customs Seize 12.5M Illegal Cigarettes in Two Weeks

    Dutch investigators from the Fiscale Inlichtingen- en Opsporingsdienst seized 12.5 million illegal cigarettes in three separate operations over the past two weeks, preventing an estimated €4.2 million in lost excise revenue, according to the Ministry of Finance. The first haul, more than 3.5 million cigarettes, was uncovered on Jan. 28 in Rotterdam hidden inside a container of plastic crates, while a second seizure of 6.5 million cigarettes followed a customs check at Rotterdam port, where cartons were concealed within wooden sauna crates. A further 2.5 million cigarettes were found in raids at premises in Vlijmen and a warehouse in Den Bosch, with authorities stating the tobacco was intended for illegal sale in the Netherlands. One suspect has been arrested, and further arrests have not been ruled out.

  • Philippines Customs Busts Illegal Cigarette Factory

    Philippines Customs Busts Illegal Cigarette Factory

    The Philippines Bureau of Customs (BOC) shut down an alleged illegal cigarette manufacturing facility in Mexico, Pampanga, after authorities discovered locally made cigarettes branded “Two Moon,” cigarette-making machines, and materials linked to several brands during an operation in Barangay Panipuan. The BOC said similar brands were seized in a recent Batangas operation, suggesting a possible distribution network, while the Bureau of Internal Revenue and Bureau of Immigration are verifying tax stamp compliance and the legal status of six Chinese nationals found at the site alongside 63 Filipinos. Customs officials are inventorying the seized items to assess duties, taxes, and potential violations.

  • Japan Makes First ‘Zombie Cigarette’ Bust

    Japan Makes First ‘Zombie Cigarette’ Bust

    A 31-year-old Thai woman was arrested in Japan for allegedly smuggling etomidate—commonly referred to as “zombie cigarettes”—into the country via Kansai International Airport, marking the first etomidate-related enforcement case at the airport since the drug was added to Japan’s controlled substances list in May last year. Osaka Customs said the suspect allegedly brought 1,002 cartridges containing about 500 grams of etomidate from Thailand in November, concealing them inside seven snack packets in her suitcase. She was traveling with a Malaysian man who was also arrested and indicted on separate charges for allegedly smuggling stimulants into Japan.

  • Hong Kong Ups Public Education in Battle Against Illicits

    Hong Kong Ups Public Education in Battle Against Illicits

    Hong Kong Customs stepped up its anti–illicit cigarette campaign this week with officers conducting patrols and public education activities focused on the unintended repercussions of the illicit cigarette market, highlighting the increased penalties for illicit cigarette offences and promoting the forthcoming Duty Stamp System. The joint outreach operation teamed Customs Officers with the Sha Tin District Council, the Department of Health’s Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office, police, and the Housing Department.

    Officials reiterated that public housing units linked to illicit cigarette crimes may face follow-up action from the Housing Department and warned the public—particularly young people—against buying, selling, or promoting illicit cigarettes, underscoring that violations can carry severe criminal penalties. Recent amendments raise the fixed penalty for failing to declare illicit cigarettes from HK$2,000 to HK$5,000 ($260 to $650), while the maximum punishment for duty-not-paid tobacco offences has increased to a HK$2 million ($260,000) fine and up to seven years’ imprisonment.

    Customs also briefed residents and district representatives on the Duty Stamp System, following the conclusion of a three-month pilot run on January 4. Authorities plan to roll out the first phase of the system in the fourth quarter of 2026, with full implementation targeted for the second quarter of 2027, aiming to better distinguish duty-paid products and curb so-called “cheap whites.”

  • Philippines Seizes $1.9M in Counterfeit Cigarettes

    Philippines Seizes $1.9M in Counterfeit Cigarettes

    The Philippine Bureau of Customs seized an estimated P105.58 million ($1.9 million) worth of illicit cigarettes in Bataan, uncovering more than 1,000 master cases transported in 12 vehicles and traced to shipments originating from China, Vietnam, and South Korea. Authorities said the cigarettes—bearing brands including Modern, RGD, Nise Baisha, and President—were intended for distribution in northern and central Luzon, underscoring ongoing enforcement challenges as Customs intensifies its anti-smuggling campaign amid revenue shortfalls and a higher 2026 collection target.

  • Overseas Seizures Show Korea Used as Tobacco Smuggling Hub

    Overseas Seizures Show Korea Used as Tobacco Smuggling Hub

    South Korea’s customs agency said millions of packs of smuggled cigarettes were seized overseas last year through joint operations with foreign authorities, underscoring the country’s growing use as a transshipment hub by international smuggling networks. The Korea Customs Service (KCS) said nearly 5.2 million packs, weighing about 103 tons, were confiscated abroad after being routed through South Korea.

    According to the KCS, major seizures included roughly 760,000 packs in the United States, 380,000 in Hong Kong, 260,000 in the United Kingdom, and 230,000 in Taiwan. The total far exceeds the 3.6 million packs detected overseas between 2019 and 2021, highlighting a sharp rise in cases linked to Korea-based transit routes.

    A KCS official said cigarette smuggling, like drug trafficking, is a key funding source for criminal syndicates. The agency said it will further strengthen international cooperation to prevent South Korea from being exploited as a logistics hub for global illicit trade.