According to a report from the German media outlet NRZ, the German police have uncovered a smuggling ring that may have illegally brought over 400,000 untaxed e-cigarettes from the Netherlands into Germany through a large-scale search operation.
Currently, multiple cities in Germany and 14 locations in the Netherlands have been searched by police, with the main suspects of the group being issued arrest warrants. Preliminary results indicate that the tax losses caused by smuggling will exceed 1 million euros.
According to reports, this batch of e-cigarettes was originally shipped from China to the Netherlands before being transported to a warehouse in Cologne, Germany. It is believed that these e-cigarettes have been sold throughout Germany, with buyers coming from various places, including newsstand operators and retailers specializing in e-cigarettes. The main search operation took place in North Rhine-Westphalia, including six warehouses in Cologne and Monchengladbach. Approximately 30,000 illegal e-cigarettes were seized in this operation.
In addition, during searches in other residential areas, the police also seized thousands of illegal e-cigarettes and around 80,000 euros in cash. It was reported that this operation was carried out after several months of a lengthy secret investigation.
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