Dismantled the illegal factory producing 50 million cigarettes per month

In addition, this joint operation with the Customs Inspection of the Tax Office, first leak filter production factory The number of cigarettes detected in Spain, where 20 tons of acetate with a capacity of producing 600,000 filters per hour and machinery for its manufacture were interfered with.

The investigation started in 2018, following the information provided by the ministry. European Anti-Fraud Officewarned that a man linked to the illegal manufacture of cigarettes would set up a freight forwarding company operating on national soil.

thanks to Police cooperation with Bulgaria and GermanyThe agents learned that a criminal organization had apprehended Bulgarian citizens with knowledge of the tobacco industry to come to Spain to work in the business. secret factory, Located in a polygon of Alcalá de Henares.

The location was complicated, as representatives found that the organization’s production center was relocating periodically. had strong security measures Such as isolated structures with double roofs and walls to hide all activity, as well as jammers and cameras.

Those who work in exploitative conditions

Also, at the end of the organization workers for weeks without leaving the warehouse in unsanitary conditionswithout natural light or ventilation, as well as subjecting them to strict control with cameras to comply with the applied schedules.

During registration, Agents arrested three members of the organization He said that they dismantled the facilities to set up the factory in a different location.

Investigators took over 15,280,000 cigarettes worth 3 million euros240 kilograms of cutting tobacco and all necessary machinery to run the activity.

Already Two more people were arrested in the second phase of the investigation. and three industrial buildings linked to the crime syndicate, in addition to the discovery of an illegal cigarette filter factory first identified in Spain.

Police are charging the five arrested with a criminal organization, crimes against industrial property, smuggling and crimes against public health, but are open to identifying other members of the organization.