3 February 16:24
The European Prosecutor's Office closes an illegal "money factory" in Italy: 21.5 tons of tobacco confiscated and three Moldovan citizens investigated.
2eu.brussels
EU
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Luxembourg/Palermo, February 3, 2026 – The European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) coordinated a major blow against organized crime, dismantling a clandestine cigarette factory in the Italian province of Padova. The operation, carried out by the Guardia di Finanza, uncovered a fully operational industrial site capable of flooding the market with contraband, resulting in the confiscation of 21.5 tons of tobacco products.
In brief
The raid discovered a high-capacity production line capable of manufacturing 2 million cigarettes a day within a 5,000 square meter facility. Authorities confiscated 5.5 tons of finished cigarettes and 16 tons of tobacco, preventing an immediate tax loss of over 1.3 million euros. Three Moldovan citizens were found inside the factory and reported to the authorities for possession of contraband tobacco and trademark counterfeiting.
The scale of the operation was industrial. In the 5,000 m² premises, investigators found sufficiently sophisticated machinery to produce 2 million cigarettes a day. Along with raw tobacco and finished cigarettes, officers discovered 14 pallets of precursors, including packaging materials bearing the logos of well-known tobacco brands, indicating a high-level counterfeiting operation.
The financial implications of the seizure are enormous. If only the confiscated batch had reached the market, it would have caused a loss of over 1.3 million euros in avoided VAT and excise duties. However, the factory's capacity represented a much greater threat: it could generate illicit profits of 350,000 euros a day, or over 120 million euros annually, with an estimated damage to public finances of approximately 80 million euros per year.
The discovery was the result of months of surveillance. Investigators tracked the supply chain and identified the production site despite the "sophisticated counter-surveillance measures" used by the suspects.
In brief
The raid discovered a high-capacity production line capable of manufacturing 2 million cigarettes a day within a 5,000 square meter facility. Authorities confiscated 5.5 tons of finished cigarettes and 16 tons of tobacco, preventing an immediate tax loss of over 1.3 million euros. Three Moldovan citizens were found inside the factory and reported to the authorities for possession of contraband tobacco and trademark counterfeiting.
The scale of the operation was industrial. In the 5,000 m² premises, investigators found sufficiently sophisticated machinery to produce 2 million cigarettes a day. Along with raw tobacco and finished cigarettes, officers discovered 14 pallets of precursors, including packaging materials bearing the logos of well-known tobacco brands, indicating a high-level counterfeiting operation.
The financial implications of the seizure are enormous. If only the confiscated batch had reached the market, it would have caused a loss of over 1.3 million euros in avoided VAT and excise duties. However, the factory's capacity represented a much greater threat: it could generate illicit profits of 350,000 euros a day, or over 120 million euros annually, with an estimated damage to public finances of approximately 80 million euros per year.
The discovery was the result of months of surveillance. Investigators tracked the supply chain and identified the production site despite the "sophisticated counter-surveillance measures" used by the suspects.
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