Officers intercepted three individuals aboard a flight from Athens via Amsterdam to Luxembourg, who were found to be carrying a combined total of 123,940 cigarettes.
The three passengers, Palestinian nationals holding international protection status in Greece, had distributed 123,940 cigarettes across nine suitcases. The tobacco, branded American Eagle Gold, bore no tax stamps.
According to customs officials, the cigarettes had been manufactured in Luxembourg for the Egyptian duty-free market before being fraudulently reintroduced into EU territory with the intention of distributing them in France. The administration has since notified both the French and Greek authorities.
Customs also took the opportunity to remind passengers that any tobacco, alcohol, or other goods imported above the permitted duty-free allowance must be declared to customs officers upon arrival at the airport.
