Overview
- Four men aged 45 to 58 are charged with forming a criminal organization and particularly serious tax evasion at the regional court.
- Investigators raided the Lierenfeld warehouse on March 18, 2025, seizing 25 million counterfeit brand cigarettes and 15 tons of tobacco and documenting a complete production line.
- The court scheduled 42 hearing days through late August 2026, though the presiding judge said many may not be needed due to confessions in a parallel workers' trial.
- Prosecutors describe a 46-year-old as a manager and a 48-year-old as a foreman, while two co-defendants are identified as production helpers who have confessed.
- The investigation followed a tip from Italian police, and defense statements were deferred to a later session.