A coordinated operation across five countries has targeted an organised crime group suspected of smuggling counterfeit cigarettes into Europe from a base in the UK.
The action day took place on 24 March in Italy, Poland, France, the United Kingdom and Switzerland, led by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Turin with support from Europol.
The investigation began in September 2024 after 12 million counterfeit cigarettes were seized at the Port of Genoa in Italy, Europol announced on Tuesday.
The cigarettes were produced in Armenia and shipped via Georgia before entering the EU.
Investigators later identified a transnational criminal organisation with links across Europe, Africa and Asia and an operational base in the UK, based on analysis of suspicious container movements at the Port of Genoa.
Shipments were routed through multiple countries — including Georgia, Kenya, the Netherlands and Turkey — to conceal the origin of the goods and evade customs inspections.
The cigarettes were destined for black markets in several European countries.
Authorities arrested port workers in October 2024 on suspicion of facilitating the smuggling operation, and seized mobile phones and cloned container seals, pointing to possible insider involvement.
Investigators also found evidence of fraudulent customs declarations that described goods as construction materials, and the alleged use of false-bottom containers to hide cigarette cargo.
Arrests and seizures across Europe
Five suspects were placed in pre-trial detention in Italy, Poland and the UK during the 24 March operation, and assets worth about €2.5 million were seized, Europol said.
Earlier enforcement activity linked to the case resulted in the seizure of more than 40 tonnes of illicit tobacco products, with an estimated loss in customs duties, excise duties and VAT of more than €10 million, while the seized goods had an estimated market value of about €15 million.
A company in the Genoa area was allegedly used to help process customs procedures and avoid inspections, while warehouses in Italy’s Alessandria province were used to store and redistribute smuggled tobacco.
An IT specialist is suspected of creating fake websites and email addresses to disguise the identities of consignees — the named recipients of shipments — in customs documents.
Europol said it supported the cross-border investigation with operational analysis and information exchange, including checks linked to cryptocurrency wallets, and deployed a mobile office to Genoa during the operation, while a cryptocurrency specialist was sent to the UK to support financial inquiries.
