French customs seized 12 tons of contraband tobacco, or 600,000 packs of cigarettes worth six million euros, in a truck that arrived from Belgium, the local authorities announced today.
Tobacco smuggling has become industrialized in recent years, with an increasing amount of cigarettes being produced in Europe, particularly in Poland and more recently in Belgium, for the European market.
The truck, registered in Romania, was intercepted on Tuesday during a routine check on the highway to Paris, the prosecutor’s office said.
The driver of Moldovan nationality was detained.
“The manner in which the transport was organized suggests that the driver knew that he was involved in the transport of illegal goods,” the prosecution added.
30 pallets of packs of Marlboro and Winston cigarettes were found in the truck, which were ready for sale.
The French government announced this week that it wants to increase criminal penalties against tobacco dealers. Last year, 645 tons of tobacco were seized.