French Customs Seize 118.6kg Smuggled Tobacco in Cerdanya Convoy Bust
Officers halted a three-vehicle convoy from Pas de la Casa on RN20 road, marking a shift in smuggling tactics amid intensified regional enforcement.
Key Points
- 118.6kg tobacco seized from three-vehicle convoy on 8-9 March night.
- Brigades from Bourg-Madame and Porta controlled key route points.
- New tactic: overt convoy vs past snow concealment methods.
- Recent total: 224kg+ tobacco, 468L alcohol seized post-RN20 reopening.
French customs officers in Cerdanya seized 118.6 kilograms of smuggled tobacco after stopping a coordinated convoy of three vehicles from Pas de la Casa during the night of 8-9 March.
Brigades from Bourg-Madame and Porta set up controls at key points along the route, enabling them to halt the illegal transport. The operation signals a departure from past smuggling methods, such as concealing goods under snow, as noted in a 12 March statement from French customs and reported by L'Independant.
The bust aligned with the RN20 road's reopening after a closure in Ariège since late January. That route, vital for travel toward Toulouse, had previously limited smuggling flows, though traffickers seemed to prepare for resumed traffic.
This incident fits into broader recent enforcement efforts in the area. Around the RN20's reopening, authorities also seized another 106 kilograms of tobacco and cigarettes, plus 468 litres of smuggled alcohol.
Original Sources
This article was aggregated from the following Catalan-language sources: