In Timiș county, large-scale searches took place on Thursday morning. Masked police officers raided 12 locations in the county, in a case of cigarette smuggling. The cigarettes were brought in from Serbia. The members of the illegal cigarette trafficking group have been under surveillance for several months. They were selling unbranded cigarettes in markets and neighborhood stores. In order to gather evidence, during the surveillance, fake purchases of cigarettes were even organized.
The searches were carried out by the anti-organized crime unit together with the economic crime investigators. The authorities seized a large quantity of cigarettes, along with documents and financial records. The estimated value of the seized cigarettes exceeds one million lei.
According to sources, the group was led by a well-known figure in the criminal world, who also has a previous criminal record for smuggling and drug trafficking. The suspects will be questioned and charged with the crime of cigarette smuggling, which carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years.
The operation was a joint effort between Romanian and Serbian authorities, as it is believed that the cigarettes were brought in from Serbia and then distributed in Romania. The Romanian Police thank their Serbian counterparts for their collaboration and support in this successful operation.
The investigation is still ongoing and more details are expected to be revealed as the case unfolds. The authorities have urged the public to report any suspicious activities related to cigarette smuggling in order to combat this illegal trade.
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