Overview
- Investigators searched six sites in Erfurt, Arnstadt and Delitzsch on Wednesday under orders from the Erfurt public prosecutor.
- Customs reported seizing 479 e‑cigarettes, about €45,000 in cash, 136 cans of snus and roughly 10 liters of vaping liquid.
- The probe targets four suspects aged 21 to 26, who are accused of sourcing untaxed vapes and reselling them along with illegal snus.
- Officers also found stolen goods, small amounts of drugs and prohibited weapons, and they took phones and computers for forensic review.
- Germany has taxed e‑cigarettes since July 2022 and bans sales of tobacco snus, so the digital trail could expose a broader supply chain and trigger further raids.