French Customs Seize €105K Andorran Cigarette Haul in Major Bust
Officers intercepted an SUV packed with 806 cartons of smuggled Philip Morris cigarettes from Andorra on the A20 motorway in Tarn-et-Garonne, one of.
Key Points
- SUV stopped on A20 motorway in Tarn-et-Garonne; 806 cartons (8,000+ packets) of Philip Morris cigarettes found hidden throughout vehicle.
- Tobacco purchased tax-free in Andorra, worth €105,000 at French street prices.
- Driver arrested; goods confiscated; hailed as one of year's biggest busts.
- Part of ongoing crackdown on cross-border tobacco smuggling.
French customs officers have seized one of the largest hauls of smuggled tobacco in recent months, intercepting a driver transporting Andorran-purchased cigarettes worth €105,000.
The incident occurred as the man, driving an SUV, attempted to join the A20 motorway in Tarn-et-Garonne department. Officers stopped the vehicle—either on instinct or by chance—and discovered it was packed with contraband. A search uncovered exactly 806 cartons, equivalent to more than 8,000 packets of cigarettes, primarily of the Philip Morris brand. The tobacco had been bought in Andorra and concealed in every available space inside the car.
Customs agents found the hidden cargo with little difficulty, leading to an immediate confiscation and proceedings against the driver, who was arrested at the scene. French media described the interception as one of the year's most significant tobacco busts.
The value reflects the estimated street price of the goods, highlighting ongoing efforts to curb cross-border smuggling from Andorra, where tobacco products are sold tax-free and often cheaper than in neighbouring France. Authorities have not released further details on the suspect or the precise circumstances of the stop.
Original Sources
This article was aggregated from the following Catalan-language sources: