Cigarette-smuggling ring arrested in northern Greece
Police in Kilkis, northern Greece, said on Saturday that they had smashed a criminal racket alleged to have smuggled thousands of packets of contraband cigarettes into Greece.
Police said they arrested four Greek nationals, aged 24, 36, 37 and 48, on a rural road near the country’s border with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) late on Thursday.
The 37-year-old was allegedly driving a lookout car, keeping an eye out for police, which was followed by a second vehicle – in which the two younger men were traveling – that was carrying 6,509 packets of illegal cigarettes.
Police confiscated the cargo as well as a thermal camera.
Police said the goods were delivered to the 48-year-old, who then made them available across Greece.
During a search at the 48-year-old’s home, police found and confiscated another 2,009 packets of contraband cigarettes.
They did not say where the cigarettes came from.
