BERLIN, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- German customs have seized around 10.4 million untaxed and undeclared cigarettes in Lubeck-Travemunde, the customs investigation office in Hamburg said on Wednesday. The cigarettes had been smuggled across the Baltic Sea.
The discovery was made when customs officers performed a routine check on a trailer arriving by ferry from Latvia last Wednesday. The truck had declared a consignment of peat, but instead officers found cartons each containing 10,000 cigarettes.
Customs have estimated the tax loss from the smuggled cigarettes at 1.9 million euros (1.9 million U.S. dollars). Authorities are now investigating the origin of the cigarettes and the recipients, who are probably located in Western Europe.
In addition, customs are investigating whether the cigarettes are original or counterfeit.
"Customs have once again uncovered a significant tax loss in Travemuende and are thus making a major contribution to tax justice in Germany and Europe," said Stephan Meyns, spokesperson for the Hamburg customs investigation office.
Last Thursday, German investigators struck another blow to internationally organized illegal cigarette and alcohol smuggling, arresting four people allegedly involved in trafficking on an international scale.
Investigators had searched 46 residential and business premises throughout the country, confiscating cash, cigarettes, tobacco, alcohol and a distillation unit. German authorities estimate that the smugglers caused tax losses of around 11 million euros.
"As part of a European cooperation, illegal manufacturing plants in Romania and Slovakia were (also) located and seized," said a statement from Osnabrueck Public Prosecutor's Office and the Prosecutor's Office and Customs Investigation in Essen. (1 euro = 1 U.S. dollar) ■
