Over 66,000 packs of cigarettes, 550,684 lei and sums in foreign currency seized following 14 searches in Maramureș, Romania

On the 23.02.2023, border police from ITPF Sighetu Marmației together with Territorial Service of the Border Police Maramureș and Sighetu Marmației and Sarasău, in cooperation with the policemen from IPJ Maramureș, carried out fourteen home searches at buildings within the radius of several localities within the radius of Maramureș county.

Following the searches carried out, 66,429 packs of cigarettes, with Ukrainian and Romanian “For Duty-Free only” stamps, 550,684 lei, 16,960 pyrotechnic articles, an air pistol and related ammunition, 2,700 euros, £140, 8 mobile phones and other documents of interest in question.

The cigarettes, worth more than 1,300,000 (265,000 euros), as well as the sums in lei and foreign currency, as well as the other assets, were confiscated in order to continue the investigations. Regarding the amount of cigarettes with a Romanian stamp, for which documents of origin could not be presented, the specialized bodies within ANAF were informed, in order to arrange legal measures.

As a result, two Maramure residents, a 50-year-old woman and a 58-year-old man (the latter being detained for 24 hours), are being investigated for committing the crime of continuous smuggling and tax evasion.