Tobacco a "fixed revenue model" for criminals; 106 million cigarettes seized in 6 months

The Dutch Customs Service intercepted 106 million illegal cigarettes in the first six months of this year, the majority in sea containers. “The smuggling of tobacco products, alongside cannabis, has become a fixed revenue model for criminals,” reported Nanette van Schelve, the director-general of Customs.

The Netherlands’ high excise duty on tobacco products makes smuggling attractive. In the whole of 2025, nearly 255 million illegal cigarettes were intercepted.

Customs plans to step up its fight against the smuggling of tobacco products in the second half of this year. The Smoke Joint Team, a partnership with the Tax Authority’s FIOD, will be expanded over the coming months.

Customs has also deployed an algorithm at Schiphol Airport that can detect during suitcase scans whether they contain more than one carton of cigarettes. That is the maximum permitted quantity for travel from outside the EU.

Customs officers also intercepted 19,332 kilograms of cocaine and 7,894 kilograms of cannabis in the first half of this year. That represents an increase of 20 percent and a decrease of 62 percent, respectively, compared to the same period last year.

According to Customs, it is still too early to speak of a trend reversal. Large seizures could still influence the annual results, a spokesperson said. In 2025, Customs seized a total of 24,500 kilograms of cocaine and 65,500 kilograms of cannabis.

The Customs Service noted that criminals are increasingly diversifying their smuggling methods. Schiphol Airport and the Port of Rotterdam remain the main hubs for drug smugglers. However, smaller ports are also increasingly used. Earlier this year, Customs interrupted a drop-off near Zeeland, in which a large ship dumped packages of drugs into the water to be picked up by smaller boats and smuggled ashore.