Officers of Poland’s Customs and Tax Service prevented the smuggling of nearly 48,000 packs of Belarusian-made cigarettes. The Lublin Tax Administration reported this on May 20.
The contraband was discovered at the rail terminal in Małaszewicze during inspections of freight trains arriving from Belarus. The cigarettes had been hidden in two containers carrying goods from China.
According to Polish customs authorities, suspicions were raised by anomalies detected in X-ray scans of the containers. After a detailed inspection, officers found cardboard boxes containing cigarettes of various brands marked with Belarusian excise stamps.
The total market value of the seized tobacco products is estimated at nearly 1 million zlotys.
The investigation into the smuggling case is being conducted by the Lublin Customs and Tax Office in Biała Podlaska.
The seized cigarettes have been placed in temporary storage. Following a court decision on confiscation, the products will be destroyed.
