05/01/22
By employing intelligencededuced by a collaborating Service and related
to four (4) suspicious containers with possible content of contraband tobacco
products, SEK acting immediately, coordinated
an operation carried out by the
competent authorities of the 3rdCustoms of Piraeus with the assistance
of the Operational Directorate of S.D.O.E. of Attica. At the same time, after
further investigation of the intelligence by the 3rdCustoms Office of Piraeus
and with subsequent actions of SEK, three (3) additional suspicious containers
were revealed, for which the competent European authorities were informed in
order to avoid their unloading in the ports of Trieste and Valencia.The result
of the coordinated actions at the port of Piraeus was the detection and seizure
of an illegal cargo of a total of 47,000,000 cigarettes on 16/12/2021 and
28/12/2021.The contraband cigarettes came from China and were declared as
wooden dinnerware and household utensils, while the receiving companies were
newly formed Bulgarian companies based in Athens. For their detection, the
X-ray device was used, as well as specially trained dogs - detectors. The
illegal import and transportation of the cargo would have led to the avoidance
of the excise taxresulting ultimatelyto losing revenue for the Greek State and
for the EU. It is estimated that the corresponding duties and taxes from the
seized quantity of tobacco amount to a total of € 9,974,992. It is noted that
in 2021 the total seizures of cigarettes made by the prosecuting authorities of
our country amount to € 464 million. pieces, recording a significant increase
compared to previous years (131 million in 2019, and 165 million in 2020)
