Police Dismantle Andorra-France Tobacco Smuggling Ring

**Police dismantle international tobacco smuggling ring operating between Andorra and France**

Andorran authorities, in coordination with French police and customs services under Eurojust oversight, have broken up a cross-border tobacco smuggling network following the February 2025 arrest of a tobacco distributor's director.

The probe began in April 2024 after Andorran forces spotted French vehicles loading large tobacco shipments from Andorra, often at night. Investigators pinpointed a 37-year-old resident as the key figure handling deliveries—around 500 cartons per exchange—from a storage unit and public facilities to smugglers.

Further inquiries revealed the involvement of a local tobacco distribution firm, where the 64-year-old director allegedly arranged off-hours handovers. To evade detection, invoices were split and issued to a Pas de la Casa shop owned by a 43-year-old man, who was already under scrutiny for money laundering tied to smuggling and has since been detained.

The operation peaked with an anti-fraud customs check in Canillo. Two French vehicles tried to dodge it; one smashed through the Envalira tunnel barrier before border agents seized it, uncovering 6,250 packets worth €24,480. The 20-year-old non-resident driver was arrested.

Raids on the Pas de la Casa shop, the distributor, and suspects' homes yielded €70,000 in cash, documents, electronics, and five vehicles. Officials estimate the ring trafficked tobacco valued at roughly €1 million.

French media reported family members near Perpignan in Pyrénées-Orientales organised frequent convoys into France. Several detainees are in provisional custody, with cases open in both countries. Suspects face charges related to socioeconomic order violations, justice obstruction, and sexual liberty offences.

A related probe uncovered prostitution links: surveillance showed the 37-year-old transporting three women to an Andorra la Vella flat where up to 14 reportedly worked since September 2024. A 26-year-old non-resident woman was arrested for alleged management of the site.

In a separate incident amid the two-week closure of the Andorra-France road—set to last at least three more months—smugglers raided a French customs warehouse in Ariège storing seized tobacco and alcohol. L'Hospitalet-près-l'Andorre mayor Arnaud Díaz quipped about their "Hollywood-worthy" adaptability despite the blockade. Foix prosecutor confirmed the theft but offered no further details as inquiries continue; customs declined comment.