Turkish customs units confiscate record 3.3 million packs of smuggled cigarettes
a significant anti-smuggling operation yesterday, customs units confiscated 3.3 million packs of cigarettes on their way into Turkey onboard a ship.
The cigarettes confiscated in the operation are believed to have a market value of TL 28.5 million ($9.85 million), which would bring some TL 23 million in tax revenues if sold legally.
Acting on a tip, customs units followed the ship, which departed from the Magosa port in Turkish Cyprus with a declared route to Ukraine’s Skadovsk port. The ship, which passed through the Bosporus and went on to the Black Sea, was put under surveillance. After cruising off the Ukrainian coast for a while, the ship headed back to Istanbul.
The ship’s operators and crew declared they unloaded the ship’s freight in Ukraine and presented a document that said the same.However, Coast Guard and customs enforcement units boarded the ship and found the cigarette packs on board, which weighed some 100 tons in total.
Related Posts
Police Seize Fake Cosmetics Worth Rs 10 Lakh In Odisha’s Berhampur City
Berhampur: Fake cosmetic products worth over Rs ten lakh were seized by the...
Gold worth ₹1.11 crore seized at Calicut airport
The Air Intelligence Unit seized 2.33 kg of gold worth approximately ₹1.11 crore...
P50-M worth of smuggled toys, candies seized
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) confiscated around P50 million worth of smuggled...
Illicit cigarette wars intensify
A vicious battle for market share is taking place in the tobacco industry as...