Millions in smoke. Record seizure of cigarettes in Silesia

Almost 6.4 million pieces of cigarettes without Polish excise stamps were seized by the Silesian National Tax Administration. The officers found illegal goods in a delivery van and two warehouses in Będzin and Katowice. Its value was estimated at over PLN 6.5 million.

According to the Chamber of Tax Administration in Katowice, officers of the Silesian Customs and Tax Office inspected a bus vehicle in Będzin. They found several dozen thousand packs of cigarettes in packaging with the logos of well-known brands without Polish excise stamps.

Then, the officers selected the hall where the bus was parked to inspect and search. They found thousands more illegal cigarettes there. In Katowice, officers discovered a second warehouse containing another several hundred thousand packs of cigarettes, as well as a wiretapping detector.

“As a result of the searches, 6.4 million cigarettes without Polish excise stamps and with a Belarusian flag were seized, worth over PLN 6.5 million. The prosecutor applied a libertarian preventive measure against the suspected Polish citizen in the form of police supervision and a ban on leaving the country,” the Tax Administration Chamber in Katowice reported.

A man may face up to 7.5 years in prison for excise fraud. The case is being handled by the District Prosecutor's Office in Będzin. (PAP)

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