Overview
- The driver falsely declared that the truck carried furniture from Turkey to England and denied transporting taxable goods.
- Investigators found the cigarettes hidden inside twelve laminated worktops, each concealing nearly 6,300 sticks.
- The seizure is part of a broader EU crackdown that leverages high-tech detection and multinational cooperation to combat cross-border tobacco smuggling.
- Authorities have referred the driver for criminal prosecution on suspicion of tax evasion under German customs law.
- Officials estimate the smuggle deprived the government of more than €19,700 in excise duties.