Customs caught Schmuggler: Almost 50,000 cigarettes secured!

Customs caught Schmuggler: Almost 50,000 cigarettes secured!

Niederösterreich, Österreich - In 2023, Austrian customs recorded an alarming increase in the cigarette smuggling. A total of six million smuggling cigarettes were confiscated, which presents the authority with considerable challenges. The financial burdens due to rising prices for tobacco products flow directly into the reinforcing activities of the smuggling. In this context, Finance Secretary Barbara Eibinger-Miedl emphasizes the important role of customs for fair competitive conditions in the domestic economy.

The two successful attacks on the Ostautobahn (A 4) in Lower Austria were particularly striking. A Bulgarian was caught, which had hidden cigarette packs in the cavities of his vehicle. A Turkish truck driver initially stated that there were only 15 packs with them, but 22,000 cigarettes with Turkish banderole were found during a more detailed examination. This driver received a penalty of 1,000 euros and an advertisement. In total, almost 50,000 un taxed cigarettes were ensured during these checks, which led to evident taxes of around 10,000 euros.

international cooperation against the smuggling

The problem of cigarette smuggling is not limited to Austria, but has European dimensions. According to a report by Tagesschau , over 1.5 billion cigarettes were smuggled in the EU in January 2025. This massive smuggling led to an estimated tax damage of over 550 million euros. An international team of investigators, consisting of forces from Belgium, the Netherlands and the Hanover customs investigation, examined the activities that have been going on since May 2020.

The cigarettes came from official manufacturers in Turkey and Iran and were smuggled into the EU by overloading and changes in the designation of the goods in sea frequency documents. A total of 51 tons of unsaxed water pipe tobacco were also ensured, which illustrates the complexity and the global character of the smuggling.

smuggling trends and opposing measures

The statistics show that the cigarette smuggling in Austria in 2022 went back to 1.3 million cigarettes, after 2,045,925 pieces in 2021. This was due to changed smuggling routes. Nevertheless, illegal trade remains a serious challenge that deprives the state significant tax funds. Around 1,600 customs officers in Austria lifted a total of 7.6 billion euros in taxes in 2022, with about 2 billion euros in tobacco taxes, as reported Zeitung .

In order to act against this illegal trade, the customs officers use risk analyzes and focus controls. Mobile control teams, which have been reinforced by the modernization of the Austria Customs Office since 2021, control traffic routes, postal distribution centers, airports and borders. In 2022, these mobile units carried out over 273,000 controls at around 3,000 missions. The influence of the Ukraine conflict is also called a further factor for the changes in the smuggling routes.