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FIOD Seizes Over 13 Million Illegal Cigarettes Across Three Dutch Raids

Investigators say the haul reflects organized smuggling linked to undermining crime, with further arrests possible.

Overview

  • A joint FIOD–customs team found about 3.5 million cigarettes in a Rotterdam container loaded with plastic bins after a tip from abroad, and no arrests have been made in that case.
  • Roughly 6.5 million cigarettes were discovered near Nieuw-Amsterdam in wooden crates hidden among sauna parts, and one suspect was detained there.
  • In Brabant, investigators seized about 2.5 million cigarettes at a site in Vlijmen and a large warehouse in Den Bosch, and a man in his fifties was arrested.
  • Authorities estimate the seizures together represent approximately €4.2 million in unpaid excise and tax revenue.
  • FIOD notes illegal tobacco trafficking often coincides with undermining criminality, and the agency says the investigation remains active with limited details available.