French Customs Seize 325kg Smuggled Cigarettes from Andorra
Perpignan officers intercepted 325kg of cigarettes and 41kg of tobacco during intensified checks in Cerdanya, using spike strips to stop evading.
Key Points
- 325kg cigarettes and 41kg loose tobacco seized over weekend.
- Intensified road checks in Cerdanya region near Andorra border.
- Drivers evaded controls; spike strips used to stop vehicles.
- Rising smuggling due to price disparities; no arrests reported.
French customs officers from Perpignan seized 325 kilograms of cigarettes and 41 kilograms of loose tobacco smuggled from Andorra over the past weekend in the Cerdanya region, according to a statement from the customs brigade.
The interceptions occurred during intensified road checks, with agents confiscating the contraband in a few hours. Several drivers attempted to evade the controls by forcing their way through, leading to tense confrontations. Officers deployed spike strips—devices placed across roads to puncture tyres—and successfully halted the vehicles for searches.
The brigade's communiqué described the operation as evidence of rising tobacco smuggling into France, a persistent issue along the Andorra border driven by price disparities. Initial reports from *L'Independant* detailed the 325.2 kilograms of cigarettes and 41.55 kilograms of loose tobacco, figures aligning with the official statement.
No information on arrests, the contraband's value, or further details has been released.
Original Sources
This article was aggregated from the following Catalan-language sources: