Over 3.8 million illegal cigarettes seized in Spijkenisse
Police uncovered a warehouse in Spijkenisse on February 18 filled with more than 3.8 million illegal cigarettes. The Dutch Customs Service confirmed the cigarettes were without the required excise stamps, marking them as contraband.
The discovery led to the involvement of the Combiteam Smoke, which initiated a criminal investigation into the operation. Evidence suggests the cigarettes were intentionally packaged in boxes bearing the logo and name of an Italian pastry manufacturer, possibly to disguise their true nature.
Had the illegal cigarettes been distributed on the Dutch market, the state would have faced an estimated fiscal loss of approximately 1.5 million euros in unpaid taxes. No arrests were made, and the seized cigarettes are set to be destroyed.
The investigation is being led by the Functioneel Parket, the Dutch public prosecutor’s office specializing in economic and financial crime.
The illegal trade of cigarettes has significant repercussions, including the creation of criminal wealth and a substantial loss to the Dutch treasury. Tax evasion and VAT fraud are serious offenses that distort fair competition in the country’s retail sector.
