In a joint operation by Moldovan special services and the prosecutor's office, representatives of the European Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine (EUBAM), Romania, and the Czech Republic, 22 individuals involved in illegal cigarette production in the Czech Republic were detained. Among the arrested are 14 Moldovan citizens. 

As reported by the Moldova Information and Security Service, an underground factory was located in the city of Česká Lípa in northern Czechia. The produced goods were illegally exported to various European Union countries, including Germany, Romania, Poland, France, and others.

During the searches at the factory, several production lines for manufacturing filtered cigarettes were discovered and a substantial quantity of finished cigarettes and tobacco. 

According to the investigation, the actions of this criminal group resulted in damages of approximately 120 million euros to the European Union. 

One of the search operations related to this case took place in Moldova at the end of June, where equipment for cigarette production, weapons, mobile phones, 15,000 euros, and an 80,000-euro car were seized.

The Moldovan suspects, aged 24 to 66, had previously worked at tobacco factories in Moldova, and some of them have prior convictions. The investigation into this criminal case is ongoing, and the suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty. 

As previously reported, in 2022, the Czech Republic saw the consumption of 490 million illegal cigarettes, marking a two percent increase compared to the previous year.