A criminal network involved in smuggling tobacco via air from Angola was dismantled on Monday in the districts of Lisbon and Setúbal, resulting in five individuals being made defendants, according to the GNR.
In Operation ‘FLASHBACK’, GNR military personnel and inspectors from the Tax and Customs Authority conducted 18 searches. These included 10 residential searches and eight in warehouses, garages, vehicles, and catering establishments in the districts of Lisbon and Setúbal, aimed at dismantling a supply chain of contraband tobacco from Angola intended for illegal consumption in national territory.
The searches led to the seizure of 28,700 manufactured cigarettes, 96 cards and banking documentation, 21,450 euros in cash, and various computer equipment.
As part of the investigation, which has been ongoing for over a year, more than 133,000 cigarettes of various brands had already been seized in national territory.
The GNR stated in a communiqué today that, if the cigarettes had been introduced for consumption, it would have resulted in a loss of thousands of euros for the Portuguese state due to the non-payment of respective customs duties, Tobacco Tax, and Value Added Tax (VAT).
“These illicit introductions also violate declarative formalities and the rules regarding sealing and stamping as set out in the legal regime of Excise Duties, in addition to current public health regulations,” the guard stated.
The operation was conducted by the Fiscal Action Unit (UAF), through the Lisbon Fiscal Action Detachment, and the Tax and Customs Authority (AT), through the Southern Operational Division of the Customs Anti-Fraud Services Directorate.
The operation included 48 military personnel from the UAF, a canine intervention team from the K9 Intervention Group of the Intervention Unit (UI), eight inspectors from AT-DSAFA, and support from the Public Security Police (PSP).
