Nearly ten tons of contraband tobacco seized at the port of Dunkirk

Customs seized nearly ten tons of contraband cigarettes Monday in Dunkirk, North, during the inspection of a container unloaded from a vessel officially carrying plastic kitchen items from Senegal, announced Tuesday the Ministry of Action and Public Accounts. Nearly 50,000 cartons of cigarettes, without "justifying" regularizing their importation, were discovered by the customs brigade of Dunkerque, on the basis of information obtained in connection with their foreign counterparts, said Bercy in a statement.

I congratulate the customs officers of @Dunkerque for the exceptional seizure of 10 tons of contraband cigarettes! I asked the @douane_france to make the fight against the #tabac illicit its priority, because it is the enemy of the health of French and tobacconists. pic.twitter.com/rwvXYAxjeL

– Gerald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) July 24, 2018

 A priority for Gerald Darmanin.  The fight against smuggled tobacco, "at the same time the enemy of the health of the French and the tobacconists", is one of the priorities of the minister Gérald Darmanin, which in particular announced Friday the installation of a scanner of two million d euros to control containers and vehicles disembarking in Marseille. Gérald Darmanin in particular asked customs officers to enforce strictly the prohibition to return from abroad with more than four cartridges for individuals. In 2017, 238.2 tons of tobacco were seized on the national territory and 112.3 tons abroad on information from the French customs.