Illicit cigarette trade

A Turkish criminal organization implicated in numerous homicides across Europe was dismantled Wednesday in Italy by the Italian Police with the assistance of Europol.

Europol disclosed that a total of 17 Turkish nationals, including the organization's leader, were arrested.

Bulgarian customs officials intercepted a clandestine smuggling operation involving over 3,000 packs of cigarettes ingeniously concealed within loaves of bread near the Danube Bridge in Vidin.

Police in the northern port city of Thessaloniki have arrested three men suspected of running a large-scale tobacco racket after seizing thousands of packets of contraband cigarettes.

Montenegrin Customs officers seize tobacco in the Port of Bar. Photo: Government of Montenegro

The Customs Office said it seized eight containers with 4,000 boxes of tobacco owned by a US company, Lenora International, registered in the US state of Delaware.

Illicit tobacco products and cigarette trade and their consumption have been on the rise in Turkey, costing the state billions of Turkish Liras in tax revenues.

It is estimated that the size of illicit tobacco products accounts for more than 20 percent of all trade volume in this industry.

Ljubljana – Slovenian tobacco prices rose today under the changes to excise taxes the government confirmed in September. A pack of 20 cigarettes is now 10 cents, or around 2.5%, more expensive. The excise duty on cigarettes rose from EUR 120 to EUR 123 per 1,000 cigarettes, while excise duties on other tobacco products also increased.

But Vanja Calovic-Markovic, head of the anti-corruption NGO MANS, said the results so far were underwhelming.

Border police officers in Negreti Oas, Satu Mare County, were forced to use weapons to stop several people involved in cigarette smuggling of Ukrainian origin, the spokesperson of the Territorial Inspectorate of the Sighetu Marmatiei Territorial Inspectorate of the Border Police (ITPF), Iulia Stan, said on Tuesday.

Port of Bar in Montenegro. Photo: Government of Montenegro

On July 10, the Prosecutors' Office launched an investigation into the breaking-in to a hangar in the port and theft of a large number of "Marble" cigarettes worth 500,000 euros.

Port of Bar in Montenegro. Photo: Government of Montenegro

"Our international partners' reports have expressed concern over the large volume of illegal transit and illegal placing on the market of tobacco products on the territory of Montenegro. They also emphasize that activities in the Port of Bar indicate the existence of security risks," the government said.