The local police in the Zennevallei area of Flemish Brabant intercepted a large shipment of illegal cigarettes on Sunday, 8 June.
Two vehicles with French number plates contained a total of 10,000 packs, equating to 200,000 illegal cigarettes, the Zennevallei police reported.
The interception occurred on Hondzochtsesteenweg in Halle, where officers stopped two suspicious vehicles with French plates. Both cars were packed to the brim with cardboard boxes filled with cigarettes.
"A total of 10,000 packs were found—4,500 in one vehicle and 5,500 in the other—amounting to 200,000 unlicensed cigarettes," explained police spokesperson Joost Van Liefferinge.
The vehicles and their illicit cargo have been taken to the Halle police station. The two occupants were residing in the country irregularly. Customs services were contacted to manage the seized cigarettes and vehicles.
This is the fourth time in recent months that the Zennevallei police have intercepted an illegal cigarette transport. In December 2024, they seized 200,000 cigarettes, an additional 100,000 in early May 2025, and another 100,000 last Tuesday, 3 June.
To date, the Zennevallei police have removed approximately 600,000 illegal cigarettes from circulation.
