1st June 2023
Andalusia News Barcelona News Catalonia News Madrid News Main News Valencia News

Guardia Civil smash illegal tobacco ring exploiting Ukrainians fleeing war

Spain’s Guardia Civil said on Sunday that they had dismantled a gang that were operating three illegal tobacco factories employing Ukrainians who fled to escape Russia’s invasion and were kept in ‘crammed’ housing.

The operation is alleged to have smuggled ‘large quantities’ of tobacco transformed into counterfeit cigarettes that were sold across Spain and neighbouring countries, the police force said in a statement.

The factories, located in Logroño, in the northern wine-producing region of La Rioja, in Seville in the south and Valencia in the east, used ‘advanced technology’ and could produce 540,000 cigarette packs per day, it added.

Police said the ring employed Ukrainians who had moved to Spain illegally or had entered the country legally seeking refuge from the war.

The Ukrainians lived in the factories ‘crammed into prefabricated modules, and without leaving the facilities so as not to be detected, working long hours’, the statement said.

The gang leaders ‘laundered large amounts of money’ and lived ‘a life of luxury’ in the upmarket tourist resort of Marbella on the Costa del Sol, the statement said.

Police arrested 27 people in raids across Spain as part of their investigation which was carried out with the help of European policing agency Europol.

They also seized 10 tonnes of tobacco leaves and 3.5 million cigarette packs worth a total of 37.5 million.

Sign up for the FREE Weekly Newsletter from Spain in English.

Please support Spain in English with a donation.

Click here to get your business activity or services listed on our DIRECTORY.

Click here for further details on how to ADVERTISE with us.

 

Recent Posts

Spain’s maiden rocket launch postponed by high winds

News Desk

Torrential rain, hail and strong winds lash parts of drought-hit Spain

News Desk

Inflation in Spain slowed for May, following drop in fuel prices

News Desk

Ciudadanos (Cs) party confirms it will not stand in July general election

News Desk

Pedro Sánchez announces General Election for Sunday 23 July

News Desk

Spain’s right-wing make significant gains in local and regional elections

News Desk

Leave a Comment