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Tag: smuggling

  • France Seizes 15 Tons of Tobacco in International Ring Bust

    France Seizes 15 Tons of Tobacco in International Ring Bust

    French authorities dismantled an international tobacco trafficking network linked to Bulgarian nationals following a year-long investigation that began in July 2024 with the seizure of 15 tons of illicit cigarettes in western France. The operation uncovered a structured smuggling route moving illegal cigarettes from Italy and Bulgaria through France to Belgium. Investigators later seized 450 kg of cigarettes and 14.7 tons of raw tobacco at a warehouse near Brussels.

    Earlier this month, police arrested the suspected convoy organizer and two lorry drivers, confiscating nearly 30 tons of counterfeit cigarettes from two trucks. Six people associated with this network have been charged with organized tobacco trafficking, criminal conspiracy, and money laundering, with three Bulgarian suspects placed in provisional detention.

  • Van Stopped with Nearly $500K in Illicits in Australia

    Van Stopped with Nearly $500K in Illicits in Australia

    A man has been charged after cigarettes and tobacco worth A$752,000 ($496,000) were seized during a road stop in Australia’s south yesterday (December 18). Officers stopped a van on the southbound lane of the Hume Highway, Gundagai, for the purpose of random testing. Police searched the van and seized 400 kg of loose-leaf tobacco and 235,000 illicit cigarettes.

    The man was issued with a field court attendance notice for goods in custody, to appear in Gundagai Local Court in February.

  • China Calls for Full-Crackdown on Illicit Tobacco Products

    China Calls for Full-Crackdown on Illicit Tobacco Products

    China’s State Council has issued new policy guidance aimed at cracking down on tobacco-related illegal activities across the entire supply chain, seeking to address persistent problems such as counterfeiting, smuggling, and intellectual property infringement. The document, titled Opinions on Combating Tobacco-related Illegal Activities in the Whole Chain, outlines targeted measures to clean up the tobacco market and protect national interests and consumer rights.

    The Opinions call for intensified action against overseas counterfeiting and the smuggling of tobacco into China, including stronger law enforcement cooperation with other countries, tighter sea and land border controls, and stricter oversight of ports, transit trade, and cross-border logistics. Authorities are also instructed to strengthen risk control over international transport and parcels, and to curb smuggling through cross-border e-commerce and transportation personnel.

    Domestically, the policy mandates a high-pressure crackdown on illegal production, storage, transport, and sale of tobacco products, including counterfeit cigarettes and unapproved nicotine products. It also tightens supervision of e-cigarettes and bans the unauthorized manufacture and sale of tobacco-like products and simple cigarette-making equipment. The State Council stressed the need for stronger inter-agency coordination, professionalized enforcement teams, and strict, standardized law enforcement, urging local governments and departments to fully assume responsibility for implementing the measures.

  • Two More Arrested in Hong Kong, Smuggling 60K Vapes

    Two More Arrested in Hong Kong, Smuggling 60K Vapes

    Hong Kong authorities sentenced two men to six months in prison after 60,000 alternative smoking products were found in their luggage upon arrival from Japan, the Department of Health (DH) said. The Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office (TACO) made the arrest after it was notified by Hong Kong Customs on December 15.

    Since amended tobacco control legislation took effect on September 19, granting arrest powers to TACO inspectors, 14 importation cases involving alternative smoking products have been prosecuted. Sixteen people have been convicted, receiving prison sentences of two to six months.

    Under Hong Kong law, importing alternative smoking products—including e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and herbal cigarettes—can result in fines of up to HK$2 million ($260,000) and imprisonment of up to seven years.

  • Korea Busts Cigarette Smuggling Operation

    Korea Busts Cigarette Smuggling Operation

    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.

  • Spain Probes Tobacco Smuggling Via Drones

    Spain Probes Tobacco Smuggling Via Drones

    Spanish authorities have launched an investigation into drone-led tobacco smuggling in La Línea after several devices were spotted near Gibraltar Airport, disrupting flights and forcing an RAF aircraft to divert to Portugal. According to Europa Sur, Spanish agencies have detected a sharp rise in smuggling groups using drones to bypass both the land frontier and traditional maritime routes. Customs officials say they are now coordinating with multiple enforcement bodies to counter the tactic.

    In London, Gibraltar representative John Cortes raised the issue with UK Minister of State for Defence Lord Coaker, highlighting the airport’s increasing exposure to drone incursions. The Royal Gibraltar Police, the MOD, and local aviation authorities have been investigating illegal drone activity for several months, as cross-border smuggling operations evolve.

  • Singapore Busts Major Vape Smuggling Syndicate Linked to Malaysia

    Singapore Busts Major Vape Smuggling Syndicate Linked to Malaysia

    Singapore authorities announced the dismantling of a large-scale vape smuggling syndicate operating between Malaysia and Singapore, arresting 12 suspects and seizing over 64,000 vaping devices worth nearly RM2 million ($460,000). The suspects—11 men and one woman aged 25 to 35—were detained on October 16 during a joint operation led by the Singapore Police Force with support from the Criminal Investigation Department, Police Intelligence Department, and Special Operations Command.

    Police said the syndicate was responsible for importing and distributing vapes to local buyers. The arrests took place at a car park where the group was allegedly distributing devices. Follow-up raids uncovered two storage facilities containing the illegal goods, alongside cash, multiple mobile devices, and eight vehicles used in the smuggling operation.

    All 12 suspects were charged in court for offenses under Singapore’s Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act 1993, which prohibits the import, sale, and distribution of vapes. Four face conspiracy charges, while eight are charged with possession for sale. Offenders can be fined up to S$10,000 ($2,300) or jailed for six months for a first offense, with harsher penalties for repeat violations.

  • Cigarette-Smuggling Balloons Shut Down Lithuanian Airport

    Cigarette-Smuggling Balloons Shut Down Lithuanian Airport

    Balloons carrying thousands of packs of illicit cigarettes shut down the Vilnius Airport in Lithuania when they floated into the country’s airspace.

    According to the National Crisis Management Centre (NCMC), 25 meteorological balloons were detected entering the country from Belarus, and two ended up directly over the airport.

    The “airspace violations” follow a number of drone incursions suspected of being linked to Russia disrupting air traffic, according to the BBC. Russia has denied any involvement.

    “Balloons with contraband cargo—cigarettes from Belarus—are nothing new in Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland,” said a NCMC spokesperson. This year, 544 balloons have been recorded entering Lithuania from Belarus, according to the spokesperson. Last year, 966 balloons were recorded.

    “Meteorological balloons are a rudimentary tool used by smugglers—they are cheaper than drones for transporting cigarettes from Belarus,” the spokesperson said. “Our services’ aim is to seize the largest possible quantities of contraband and to detain organizers and perpetrators so that this activity is unprofitable and does not pose a risk to civil aviation.”

  • BAT France Points to Anti-Smoking Policy Failure

    BAT France Points to Anti-Smoking Policy Failure

    BAT France told lawmakers today (September 24) that France’s reliance on over-taxation and outright bans risks fueling the illicit nicotine market while failing to cut smoking rates, which remain stubbornly above 30%. “This excessive tax policy has, above all, encouraged criminal, structured, and industrial smuggling,” said Sébastien Charbonneau, director of public and regulatory affairs. He added that the government’s planned ban on tobacco-free nicotine pouches would repeat past mistakes, driving consumers to the black market without advancing public health or protecting minors.

    Instead, BAT France urged a pragmatic approach focused on strict but balanced regulation. The company called for a framework that prohibits sales to minors, limits nicotine content and flavorings, enforces retail controls, and applies substantial penalties for violations.

    “The State has a moral duty to adopt the principle of harm reduction related to smoking to allow adult smokers to have access to alternatives to tobacco, and to do so legally,” Charbonneau said. “All we are asking is to look at the scientific data and regulations that have enabled many countries to achieve their public health objective.”

  • Two Sentenced, Tanker Seized in Bahrain Over 4 Tons of Illegal Tobacco

    Two Sentenced, Tanker Seized in Bahrain Over 4 Tons of Illegal Tobacco

    The Second Minor Criminal Court in Bahrain sentenced two people and seized a tanker, all connected to an attempt to smuggle four tons of tembak into the country. The first defendant was sentenced to three years in prison and fined BD 60,000 ($159,000) and the second defendant was sentenced to six months in prison for attempting to import the banned tobacco.

    Customs officials discovered the tobacco “cleverly hidden inside the tanker” being brought through the seaport. The Tax Evasion Crimes Unit launched an investigation, and the second defendant admitted they had falsified documents in an attempt to bypass import restrictions.