Illegal tobacco trafficking: X-ray scanners, “task forces”, sanctions… what Gabriel Attal’s fight plan contains

Gabriel Attal, Minister of Public Accounts in charge of customs, details this Sunday, December 4 the content of the government’s plan on cigarette trafficking.

Gabriel Attal unveils this Sunday in the JDD the plan he will present this Monday, December 5 in the Pyrénées-Orientales to fight against contraband tobacco. Indeed, cigarette trafficking is exploding: 284 tonnes seized by customs in 2020, against 402 tonnes in 2021, remind our colleagues.

The objective, which is to “dry up traffic and harass traffickers”, is based “on three pillars: monitor, seize, punish”. “We want to punish tobacco traffickers like drug traffickers,” said the minister.

300 additional customs posts

Among the measures that make up this action plan: the recruitment of 300 more customs posts by 2025announces the Minister of Public Accounts in charge of customs.

Another key measure envisaged: the deployment of a dozen vans equipped with X-ray scanners capable of sifting through a vehicle in sixty secondsfor an amount of 45 million euros.

This plan also announces the trainingon a model tested in Lyon, anti-tobacco anti-trafficking groups “capable of carrying out operations and investigations” in the nine main areas identified for smuggling, details France Blue, which quotes AFP. It will be “task forces”, on a model tested in Lyon. The goal is to “fight in particular against the sale on the sly”.

Finally, a “cybertobacco network” will be set up to track traffic on the internet or social networks.

Gabriel Attal also indicated the opening of a reflection, with Éric Dupond-Moretti, with a view to a “strengthening of criminal sanctions” against buyers, sellers and manufacturers of contraband tobacco.

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