Polish Officials Seize Thousands of Illegal Cigarettes

According to Sebastian Polański of the tax administration in Wrocław, Poland, officials from the KAS in Lower Silesia prevented the sale of 6,260 packs of cigarettes and 77 kilograms of untaxed tobacco during an inspection of the Sieniawka market. The goods were hidden in a metal cabinet, on a trade stand, and inside an abandoned van, he said. Officials also searched the private property of one suspect, where they found 3,550 packs of cigarettes and 23 kilograms of untaxed tobacco.

As part of further activities, customs and tax officials in Zgorzelec inspected a coach in a car park in Zawidów. Inside, they found 2,475 packs of various brands of cigarettes, without the Polish consumption tax stamp. The female driver admitted to hiding the cigarettes in the vehicle. According to Polański's report, she claimed to have purchased the illegal goods at the market in Sieniawka.

During a search of the woman's apartment, police discovered another illegal cigarette. They found 1,745 packs of cigarettes and 20 kilograms of tobacco without Polish consumption tax or stamp duty concealed in the attic, travel bag, and children's room.

The police handed over the confiscated tobacco to a secure deposit facility. If these items are illegally sold, the national budget could lose over 366,000 Polish zlotys.

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