Polish customs, police seize 26 million counterfeit cigarettes
Twenty-six million smuggled cigarettes have been seized in Poland's northern city of Gdansk as part of a joint customs and police operation targeting the illegal import of tobacco products entering the EU from third countries.
If the counterfeit cigarettes entered the market, Poland's and EU's budgets could lose over PLN 28 million. The organiser of the smuggling operation has been arrested.
The cigarettes were hidden in three containers sent from Malaysia. According to shipment documents, they contained empty glass bottles and were to be sent to a Polish company in Lower Silesia (south-western Poland), spokesperson for the Customs Chamber in Gdynia Marcin Daczko said on Tuesday.
According to Daczko, budget losses from the sale of the counterfeit cigarettes could stand at PLN 28.5 million (excise - PLN 21.5 million, VAT - PLN 5.7 million and customs - PLN 1 million).
Daczko added that prior to the entire operation, Polish police had closely cooperated with the British revenue and customs services. (PAP)
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