SIX clandestine factories in Spain producing almost eight million cigarettes per day have been closed down by the Guardia Civil.
50 people have been arrested following 23 searches of homes, buildings and industrial warehouses in the Alicante, Cuenca, Huelva, Murcia, Sevilla and Toledo areas.
Among the detainees, were two Polish fugitives who have been brought before their native country’s courts.
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Seven of those arrested were sent to prison ahead of their trial.
The six factories contained over 20 million cigarettes and 38.4 tons of chopped tobacco and leaf.
The value of the seized tobacco products seized was over €10 million, according to the Guardia Civil.
Likewise, 18 vehicles, numerous encrypted electronic devices, €170,000 in cash and firearms were also removed.
The operation, in collaboration with European agencies and police forces, has made it possible to break up two international criminal gangs based in Spain.
They produced products which were then distributed and marketed in other European countries.
The organisations managed four active and two inactive tobacco production facilities that counterfeited well-known cigarette brands.
Guardia investigations started seven years ago when it received information from Europol, Poland and Lithuania about the possible existence of a criminal gang led by a Polish national who had lived in Spain for a decade.
Inquiries revealed criminal activities with a greater degree of complexity and scope than initially believed.
Officers discovered two gangs operating in Spain with a large presence in different parts of the country.
The cigarette factories not only served the gangs, but also third-party groups in Southern Spain, Portugal, and France, without ruling out a United Kingdom link.
The raided facilities included machinery for the manufacturing, packaging and storage of tobacco.
Several areas within warehouse were set as permanent residence spaces for exploited workers who were crammed into rooms.
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