More than 100 tons of counterfeit tobacco seized in several provinces of Catalonia
The Spanish Civil Guard, as part of Operation “Yankao-Mikao,” has arrested 20 members of a criminal organization dedicated to the manufacture, distribution, and sale of counterfeit tobacco, operating nationwide with possible international connections. The operation resulted in the seizure of over 100 tons of tobacco in various stages of production. This is one of the largest seizures in Spain and represents one of the biggest blows against this type of fraud in recent years.
The vast majority of cigarettes were counterfeit Marlboro (Philip Morris International), a company that has actively collaborated with the Civil Guard, especially in key technical aspects for the assessment and estimation of this organization’s production.
Dismantling of the logistics structure
During the operation, five searches were carried out at industrial warehouses, a residence, and a garage located in the towns of Lloret de Mar and Vidreres (Girona), as well as in Granollers, Piera, and Mollet del Vallès (Barcelona). The searches resulted in the seizure of 29,600 kilos of tobacco leaves, 72,800 kilos of loose tobacco, nearly 7 million screen-printed sheets for cigarette packs, more than 1,000 boxes of filters, packaging, wrapping, and labeling materials, 129 drums of glue, a vehicle, electronic devices, and a large amount of documentation.
Also seized were 384,000 packs of counterfeit cigarettes ready for distribution, 107 tons of leaf and shredded tobacco, valued at more than 10 million euros, along with industrial machinery.
High production capacity
At the time of the raids, the cigarette manufacturing and packaging lines were operational. The estimated daily production capacity of counterfeit product was between 850,000 and 900,000 cigarettes, approximately 45,000 packs of tobacco. They possessed the necessary machinery, valued at around €500,000.
Labor exploitation of undocumented workers
During the search of an industrial warehouse in Granollers (Barcelona), the agents discovered that eleven of the organization’s workers who worked there were in an irregular situation in Spain and that they could be being exploited by those responsible for the organization.
These individuals were charged with the alleged commission of crimes related to tobacco counterfeiting and were released by the Civil Guard, and the judicial authority was informed of their situation.
The other nine detainees, aged between 21 and 73 and residents of Girona, Lloret de Mar (Girona), and Mollet del Vallès (Barcelona), are accused of the alleged crimes of smuggling, offenses against public health, membership in a criminal organization, offenses against industrial property, tax evasion, and violations of workers’ rights. Four of them have been ordered to be held in pretrial detention by the judicial authorities.
The operation has been carried out by the Organic Unit of the Judicial Police of the Civil Guard Command of Girona, under the direction of the head of the Court of Instruction number 1 of Igualada (Barcelona) and has had the collaboration of the EUROPOL Agency, the Economic and Anti-Corruption Investigation Department of the Central Operational Unit (UCO) of the Civil Guard and the Judicial Police Unit of the Zone (UPJZ) of the Civil Guard of Catalonia.
