Customs officers raid illegal cigarette factory in Brussels

Officers from Belgian Customs and Excise dismantled an illegal cigarette factory in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, Brussels, on Tuesday, according to a statement issued by the government department.

Over 170,000 Marlboro cigarettes and 11.5 tonnes of cut tobacco were seized in the raid, amounting to €2.2 million in evaded excise duties and VAT. A full production line and a packing line were discovered at the site along with empty packaging, cigarette papers, silver foil and filters. No arrests have been made at this stage.

The raid was carried out in collaboration with Polish Customs within the framework of the European cooperation programme "EMPACT - Priority ACCISES" and the specific action plan (OA 2.3) dedicated to the illegal manufacture of tobacco products.

In Belgium, three illegal cigarette production sites and four illegal production sites for water pipe tobacco have already been dismantled since the turn of the year. A tobacco cultivating site and six warehouses have also been discovered.