International operations conducted by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) during 2022 resulted in the seizure of 531 million illicit cigarettes, over 205 tonnes of raw tobacco and 65 tonnes of water pipe tobacco, according to a press release published on Tuesday 4 April.
OLAF investigators have conducted multiple operations with national and international customs and competent services to combat cigarette and tobacco smuggling.
OLAF Director General Ville Itälä stated that these seizures saved about €153 million in customs, excise and VAT revenues that would have eventually been paid by taxpayers.
This year, the majority of cigarettes seized by OLAF - 316.7 million (59.5%) - came from illicit production within the EU. In recent years, investigators have noted an increase in the number of illicit factories assembling raw materials within the European Union. This shift from the more traditional smuggling model, in which illicit cigarettes are sourced from outside the EU, was first seen during the Covid-19 pandemic. OLAF investigators believe that Russia’s aggression against Ukraine may have had an additional disruptive impact on some of the routes traditionally used by smugglers on the eastern border. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)