Brussels, 15/11/2010 (Agence Europe) - Investigations by the European anti-fraud office (OLAF), working together with the Spanish customs authorities, led to the seizure of 90 million counterfeit cigarettes and the arrest of six people, the Commission announced on 12 November. This marks an end to the largest network of cigarette counterfeiting in Spanish history.
The Spanish customs authorities launched operation BALMAN in February 2010 as a result of information provided by OLAF concerning suspicious imports from China. It was thus possible to follow the containers in question to ports on the east coast of Spain, where the cigarettes entered the black market. Arrests were made after premises were searched in Alicante, Valencia, Barcelona, Tarragona and Badajoz.
Sales of cheap tobacco products is a massive growth area in Spain and many European countries since 2008, due to the economic crisis, but also due to increases in cigarette prices brought about by higher levels of taxation. This operation prevented a loss of €10 million in tax revenue. (F.G./transl.fl)