Customs officers raided an illegal cigarette factory near Charleroi on Thursday morning.
It is believed 42 people worked in the factory. However, no one was found on the premises at the time.
Following an investigation, customs officers discovered the factory, which was reportedly run professionally. They found 19 tonnes of tobacco and one million finished cigarettes. It is possible that work was carried out round the clock.
“There were 42 beds, so we assume that 42 workers were employed there,” says Florence Angelici of the Ministry of Finance. Evidence was found suggesting that the workers were Vietnamese.
No one was arrested at the scene, but investigators did uncover information about the possible operators of the illegal operation.
This was the eleventh factory to have been dismantled this year. A total of 180 million cigarettes have seized.
This suggests that 2026 is on course to set a new record. The previous record year was 2024, when twelve factories were raided.
