Contraband cigarettes worth €100,000 seized in two raids

Contraband cigarettes worth 27 million forints (EUR 94,500) have been seized in two separate incidents in western Hungary and near Budapest, the customs and excise office said on Friday.

A lorry with German licence plates was stopped near Letenye for a road check on Thursday and 3,500 boxes of cigarettes were found hidden on it. The Turkish driver and Italian passenger were unable to present any proof of origin for the cigarettes so customs officials seized the shipment and initiated proceedings against the two men. A fine of 23.5 million forints is expected to be issued, the statement added.

Some 1,000 boxes of cigarettes were also found in a car parked in a garage in a village near Budapest. The Hungarian man loading the car was unable to show proof of origin. Proceedings have been initiated and a fine of 7 million forints is expected to be issued, the statement said.

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