According to a report by The Brussels Times, a Belgian court has imposed million-euro fines and imprisonment on companies and individuals involved in the production of millions of cigarettes, as these cigarettes were not declared to customs and tax authorities.
An illegal tobacco production and storage operation was discovered in a warehouse located in Gosselies, which was under surveillance in the year 2022. The warehouse in Gosselies held over 5 million cigarettes, and another warehouse was discovered in a furniture factory in Anderlecht.
A truck was checked near Jabbeke and was found to be carrying 16 boxes of undeclared cigarettes produced in Belgium.
A company operating in Gosselies has been fined €36.71 million, and its leader has been sentenced to one year in jail and fined the same amount.
Another company has been fined 36.71 million euros and given a suspended sentence for exceeding the amount of 36.60 million euros. All manufacturing and transportation equipment has been confiscated.
The other defendants were fined €36.71 million, while those sentenced to suspended sentences were given six months, nine months, and two years, respectively, exceeding the amount of €36.60 million.
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Manufacturing cigarettes without proper registration or declaration is now punishable by fines and imprisonment in Belgium. This new law, which came into effect on January 1, 2021, aims to crack down on the illegal production of tobacco products. Violators can now face fines ranging from €500 to €5,000 and imprisonment for up to six months. Repeat offenders may be subject to even harsher penalties. Belgian authorities hope that this will help combat the rising black market for tobacco products in the country.
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