German customs has seized about 1.3 million smuggled cigarettes, which were hidden in a truck carrying goods from Bulgaria to Germany.
The truck was stopped on October 13th in a resort area along the A3 Highway, near the town of Rodgau, in the back of Hesen. During the search, customs officials used a large X-ray device through which they identified irregularities in the vehicle load.
After a more detailed search, they discovered about 1.3 million cigarettes of different brands, which did not have the respective German tax stamps and were being transported contrary to the rules in force, German media reports.
According to authorities, smuggling has caused a tax damage of more than 270 thousand euros.
The truck driver, a 51-year-old Bulgarian national, was temporarily arrested under suspicion of tax evasion. After the interrogation, he was released at the prosecutor’s order in charge of the case, while investigative procedure has been launched against him.
The seized cigarettes were transported to a safe place with the help of the German Federal Agency for Technical Assistance ( THW).
Investigations into the case are being conducted by the Darmstad Prosecutor and the Customs Investigations Office in Frankfurt, which are working to fully whiteen the smuggling circumstances.
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Source Layer: Signal