The agents of the customs brigade of Millau (Aveyron) carried out a seizure described as “exceptional”. By controlling the loading of a truck parked on a motorway area of the A75, they discovered 8,903 cartons of contraband cigarettes, for a total weight of 1,780 t.
The driver, of Ukrainian nationality, said he was transporting glass wool and masks. But the difficult to read indications on the transport document, as well as the difficulty of accessing the load, prompted the agents to deepen the check. The tobacco cartridges were concealed behind the load of glass wool and the masks.
For the Millau brigade, the previous record dated from 2021, with a seizure of nearly 570 kg of tobacco. This entry is three times larger. “The fight against tobacco smuggling is a priority for French customs: in 2022, customs seized 749 t of tobacco”, specify customs.