Lisbon, March 21, 2025 (Lusa) - Nine people were detained and more than 6.5 tonnes of tobacco seized, as well as 77,000 cigarettes, in an operation that led to the dismantling of an international smuggling network with infrastructure in Portugal and Spain, the former's National Recpublican Guard (GNR) announced on Friday.
In a statement, the GNR explains that the investigation took place over 18 months and led to the identification of a criminal tobacco smuggling network with international connections, especially in the European Union, and with logistical infrastructures in Spanish cities such as Écija, Burgos, Valladolid, Madrid, Guadalajara, Salamanca and Zamora, as well as in Portugal, in the districts of Aveiro, Leiria, Lisbon, Portalegre and Setúbal.
The Europol operation was carried out in coordination with the GNR's Tax Action Unit (UAF), Spain's Guardia Civil (GC), the Salamanca branch of Spain's National Police Corps (CNP) and the Deputy Directorate of Customs Surveillance (DAVA), a department of the Spanish Tax Administration Agency (AEAT). In recent months, it was discovered that the organisation had already expanded into France.
The operation, dubbed Fust by the GNR and GC, and Martina by the CNP and DAVA, has resulted in the dismantling of the organisation, the statement says, revealing that the elements involved rented trailers to transport tobacco leaf bought in Italy, which, on arrival in Spain, was subjected to a process of cutting, drying, packaging and preparation for distribution.
The tobacco is said to have been distributed via vans hired by parcel transport companies, bound for Portugal, for delivery to different Spanish provinces.
To make it difficult for the authorities to detect, the storage sites were only used for two to three days and then quickly deactivated, explains the GNR statement.
In addition, the organisation used cryptocurrencies as a method of money laundering to hide the profits made from their tobacco smuggling.
During this operation, nine people of different nationalities were detained on suspicion of the crimes of smuggling, participation in a criminal organisation, money laundering, document forgery and tax fraud.
A total of 56 searches were carried out in different locations, including residences, farms, industrial warehouses and logistics warehouses, in Portugal in the districts of Aveiro, Leiria, Lisbon, Portalegre and Setúbal, and in Spain in the provinces of Salamanca, Zamora and Madrid.
The GNR statement adds that the operation also resulted in the seizure of more than 6.5 tonnes of tobacco, 77,000 cigarettes, 18 vehicles, various pieces of machinery used to handle tobacco and electronic equipment, including laptops and mobile phones, 2which could provide fundamental evidence for the progress of legal proceedings."
In Portugal, the case has been referred to public prosecutors at the Department of Investigation and Penal Action (DIAP) in Sintra.
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