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)