Buzău: 3.3 million cigarettes seized from two vehicles stopped in traffic
Police in Buzău confiscated over 3.3 million smuggled cigarettes from two vehicles. Two men, a Greek citizen and a Romanian citizen, were detained for 24 hours.
Cigarette smuggling in Buzău: two lorries stopped, two men detained
Over 3.3 million cigarettes were confiscated by police officers in Buzău County after they intercepted two lorries driven by a Greek citizen and a Romanian citizen in traffic, according to agerpres.ro.
The operation was carried out by officers from the Buzău Organised Crime Fighting Service, under the coordination of a prosecutor from the Buzău District Court Prosecutor's Office. The two men are being investigated for smuggling and possession of cigarettes outside a tax warehouse, without being marked, improperly marked, or with false markings.
First lorry: cigarettes hidden behind pallets of frozen fish
On 24 August, police officers stopped a lorry driven by a man of Greek nationality, aged 53. Inside the vehicle, 2,560,000 cigarettes without tax marking stamps issued by Romanian authorities were discovered, concealed behind pallets of boxes of frozen fish.
Second vehicle: cigarettes with Moldovan stamps, hidden among boxes of footwear
In the same area, a light commercial vehicle driven by a Romanian citizen aged 30 was intercepted. Inside it, 777,720 cigarettes bearing tax marking stamps issued by the Moldovan authorities were found, hidden behind boxes of footwear.
"In the same area, another light commercial vehicle was intercepted, driven by a Romanian citizen, aged 30, inside which 777,720 cigarettes bearing tax marking stamps issued by the Moldovan authorities were discovered, hidden behind boxes of footwear," the Buzău County Police Inspectorate (IPJ) said on Tuesday in a press statement.
Entire cargo confiscated
Since neither of the two drivers could legally justify the quantity of goods being transported, police officers confiscated all over 3.3 million cigarettes.
The Buzău Organised Crime Fighting Service ordered the detention of both men for 24 hours. They are to be presented to prosecutors with a proposal to refer the case to the court for preventive arrest.
Source: Google News RO — Crime (ro)