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Fraud: 13 tonnes of contraband cigarettes seized in Seine-Saint-Denis
Fraud: 13 tonnes of contraband cigarettes seized in Seine-Saint-Denis
(France 2)
Major cigarette trafficking was dismantled in Pavillons-sous-Bois, in Seine-Saint-Denis, Friday April 5. The police seized goods worth 2.5 million euros.
In Seine-Saint-Denis, structured and international trafficking in contraband cigarettes was dismantled: 13 tonnes of merchandise were seized for a value of 2.5 million euros. After scouting, given the scale of the traffic, the investigators chose to call on the GIGN.
Elite gendarmes carried out a raid on Friday April 5 in Pavillons-sous-Bois (Seine-Saint-Denis), in a warehouse. In front of a box, they surprised nine criminals unloading a truck filled with 44,000 cartons of counterfeit cigarettes.
“Delivery every 15 days”
After a search, they also recovered 19,000 euros in cash and six large cars. Neighbors had spotted a strange ride. According to the gendarmes, the network was very organized. “We consider, according to our findings, that they had approximately one delivery every 15 days“, explains Colonel Patrick Pégeot, commander of the Paris research section. These cigarettes are often manufactured at low cost, in clandestine workshops in Eastern countries.
