Austria’s customs stops cigarette smuggling

Officials from the Nickelsdorf police station arrested a 35-year-old driver of a Mercedes Sprinter at the end of May during a border control, who had smuggled over 100,000 cigarettes. The man had entered from Hungary with a French registration. During the inspection, the officers discovered a hidden freezer in the cargo area of the vehicle.

Upon closer examination, the officers found a total of 100,960 cigarettes of various brands, which originated from Moldova. The driver stated that he had purchased the cigarettes in Romania and planned to resell them in Germany, Belgium, and France. Due to communication difficulties, an interpreter for the Romanian language was brought in.

The financial penalty authority has taken over the investigation, as there is suspicion of tax evasion against the man. The seized cigarettes were officially stored.

Zero tolerance for tax fraud

Austria’s Finance Minister Markus Marterbauer emphasized the importance of measures against tax and duty fraud:

“In the interest of all honest taxpayers, there is zero tolerance for tax and duty fraud. Cigarette smuggling harms the state and poses a high risk to consumers.”

Finance Secretary Barbara Eibinger-Miedl praised the work of customs: “Our customs officials have once again done excellent work: Over 100,000 smuggled cigarettes removed from the black market, which were not subject to any quality control and thus would have posed a potential health risk. This seizure is an important contribution to combating organized smuggling crime in Europe.”

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