- Customs finds 167,000 unfilled cigarettes
Nearly 167,000 untaxed cigarettes were seized by customs during raids in the Ingolstadt area. As the customs investigation office reported, several residences and workplaces of six suspects were searched on July 24. They are accused of having traded a total of 1.7 million cigarettes since 2019.
Additionally, 15,000 euros in cash and a switchblade were confiscated. None of the six suspects, aged between 26 and 53, were arrested, a customs spokesperson said. Apart from trading, they are also suspected of being involved in smuggling.
The tax loss is estimated at around 750,000 euros. So far, 20 potential buyers of the smuggled goods have been identified. The customs investigation office and the public prosecutor's office are investigating, among other things, for organized tax evasion and commercial smuggling.
During the investigation, the customs authorities conducted a thorough search for any potential evidence related to tax evasion. The suspects are now being investigated for utilizing online platforms to conduct a widespread search for buyers for their smuggled cigarettes.
