French authorities have dismantled a large tobacco smuggling operation spanning Bulgaria, Italy, and Belgium, seizing tens of tonnes of cigarettes and charging multiple individuals.
The investigation began in July 2024, following the seizure of 15 tonnes of cigarettes by customs officials in Loire-Atlantique, western France.
Subsequently, judicial proceedings were launched into organised possession of tobacco, participation in a criminal conspiracy, and organised money laundering.
Three men aged between 36 and 51, including two Moldovan nationals, were among those charged.
The investigation uncovered a structured network involving individuals from the Bulgarian community. The network moved illicit cigarettes from Italy and Bulgaria to Belgium, using France as a transit route.
In autumn 2024, authorities seized 450 kilograms of cigarettes and 14.7 tonnes of raw tobacco at a warehouse near Brussels, the prosecutor stated.
On 4 December, investigators arrested the convoy organiser and two lorry drivers. They also confiscated 33 pallets of counterfeit cigarettes from each of two lorries, totalling 29.7 tonnes.
Three Bulgarian nationals, aged 41 to 57, have since been charged and placed in provisional detention.
