The operations, carried out as part of the surveillance and control measures in place in the region, led to the discovery of various consignments of tobacco being transported without the required documentation, constituting an administrative offence of smuggling.

In the first of the operations, officers stopped the driver of a luxury car and found in the boot a total of 1,080 packets of cigarettes lacking the required tax stamps, originating from Gibraltar.

During the rest of the week operations led to the detection of three further consignments of contraband tobacco, with 3,000, 2,500 and 3,000 packets seized, respectively.

As a result, the four operations have led to a total of 9,580 packets of contraband cigarettes being taken out of circulation, with a market value of over 20,100 euros. All of these packets originated in Gibraltar.

These operations form part of the Guardia Civil’s ongoing efforts to prevent and combat smuggling, through the establishment of checkpoints and surveillance operations designed to detect the transport, import and distribution of tobacco products that do not comply with the legally established requirements.

The Guardia Civil continue to step up operations of this kind with the aim of identifying the various routes used by organisations involved in smuggling and preventing the illegal import and distribution of tobacco.