One of Latvia's largest underground cigarette factories was uncovered in Riga
In Riga, the Latvian Tax and Customs Police uncovered and shut down one of the country’s largest illegal cigarette factories. During the inspection, the equipment at the facility was in operation, and the people present at the scene fled, ignoring the lawful demands of officers from the Tax and Customs Police and the State Police.
Eighteen people employed illegally—mostly citizens of Ukraine and Moldova—were detained on the factory premises. All those detained were taken into custody. Sleeping quarters for the illegally employed workers had also been set up on the premises, according to LSM English, citing the Tax and Customs Police.
Law enforcement officers discovered a significant quantity of tobacco, illegally manufactured tobacco products, cigarettes, filters, packaging, and other production components. According to the police, the factory was equipped with full-cycle technology: they found a tobacco grinder, dryer, and cutter; a device for checking the quality of cut tobacco; two production lines for slim and standard cigarettes; as well as lines for packaging packs and cartons.
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The factory contained tobacco, filters, glue, pre-formed cigarette packs, foil, and plastic film. Police also reported discovering counterfeit Belarusian excise stamps. According to law enforcement officials, the equipment and raw materials found indicate that the facility was producing counterfeit versions of Marlboro, Winston, NZ, Minsk, Davidoff, and Parliament cigarettes.
According to preliminary data from the Tax and Customs Police, the criminal group used vehicles with counterfeit license plates and mechanically altered VIN numbers for logistics. The police have opened a criminal case on suspicion of the illegal production of tobacco products. The exact production capacity of the factory has not yet been determined, as the investigation is ongoing.
