(Luxembourg, 24 March 2025) – The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Turin (Italy) has dismantled a tobacco smuggling network operating across Italy, France, Poland, Switzerland and the United Kingdom (UK), following a coordinated crackdown that led to multiple arrests today. Over 40 tonnes of illicit tobacco products were also seized in this investigation, code-named ‘Borotalco’ (talcum powder).
The investigation started following the analysis of suspicious container movements arriving at the Port of Genoa (region of Liguria), making it possible to identify a transnational criminal organisation with the operational base located in the UK and connections across Europe, Africa and Asia.
Based on the evidence, the tobacco was declared as coming from Armenia, Dubai (UAE) and Spain, and entered the Italian territory through the Port of Genoa, using maritime and commercial routes designed to evade customs inspections. These routes passed through Georgia, Kenya, the Netherlands and Turkey, in order to hide the true origin of the illicit goods. The organisation established a network of associates across these countries, with the cigarettes ultimately destined for the black market in several European countries.
A company in the Genoa area was allegedly used for shipment notifications in customs procedures, to avoid inspections. The company also made available its warehouses in the province of Alessandria, in close proximity with the Port of Genoa, for unloading and storing the smuggled tobacco, until transportation to other destinations, as well as for storing cover materials used to conceal the illicit cargo. The goods were declared as being construction materials, which were used to disguise the cartons of cigarettes. In addition, false bottoms were used as hidden compartments built into containers to conceal the tobacco.
To hide the identities of the shipment consignees in customs documentation, an IT specialist from the Campania region created and managed fake websites and email addresses. It is understood that the criminal organisation also used encrypted communication platforms, to avoid surveillance by law enforcement.
Five suspects in pre-trial detention
Following a request from the EPPO, the Judge for Preliminary Investigations at the Court of Genoa ordered the pre-trial detention of five suspects, detained today in Italy, UK and Poland, and the seizure of assets worth approximately €2.5 million.
Earlier in this investigation, enforcement activities were carried out at the Port of Genoa, leading to the seizure of close to 41 tonnes of manufactured cigarettes, with an estimated loss of customs duties, excise duties and VAT exceeding €10 million. The market price in Italy for the seized goods is estimated at around €15 million, which could double or even triple if the shipments had reached their final destination.
The investigation is supported by the international anti-mafia operational network @ON and by Europol, with additional backing from national law enforcement agencies – highlighting the value of cross-border cooperation against organised crime. The cooperation with UK’s HM Revenue & Customs and Switzerland’s Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS) was also crucial to the inquiry.
All persons concerned are presumed innocent until proven guilty in the competent Italian courts of law.
The EPPO is the independent public prosecution office of the European Union. It is responsible for investigating, prosecuting and bringing to judgment crimes against the financial interests of the EU.
List of most important partners and national authorities involved:
- Europol
- Servicefor International Police Cooperation (SCIP)
- Operations Centre of the Italian Anti-Mafia Investigative Direction (D.I.A.) of Genoa, Italy’s Financial Police (Guardia di Finanza) of Genoa; Anti-Fraud Section of the Italian Customs and Monopolies Agency of Genoa (ADM)
- In the UK, the Metropolitan Police Service and His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
- Poland’s Economic Crime Unit in Warsaw and Kielce
- France’s Paris Customs Authority (Douanes de Paris)
- In Switzerland, the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS) – Bundesamt für Zoll und Grenzsicherheit (BAZG)