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Water pipe (symbol image)
Photo: Annette Riedl / dpa
During raids in Berlin and Hamburg, investigators have taken down an illegal sales network for shisha tobacco.
A total of more than 220 emergency services were involved in twelve searches in the Berlin city area and one search in Hamburg on Tuesday, as the public prosecutor, police and customs announced on Thursday.
Pre-trial detention was ordered for two of the alleged perpetrators.
A joint investigation team had been on the trail of the suspects since July 2020.
According to the authorities, more than 25 euros per kilogram could be saved on tobacco tax alone.
In total, the investigators found more than 45 tons of water pipe tobacco, which is said to have been smuggled past the German tax authorities in this way.
The pure tax damage for this is therefore more than two million euros.
Gang consists of seven suspects
The group, consisting of seven 23- to 70-year-old accused, is said to have built up an illegal Europe-wide distribution channel with untaxed water pipe tobacco.
According to the information, the original tobacco was initially imported legally from the United Arab Emirates by a company located in the Berlin area.
Before the due taxes had to be paid, the company is said to have exported the tobacco again.
On the way abroad, the tobacco was then replaced by inferior goods in a warehouse in Berlin.
The evaded tobacco is said to have been sold to various buyers in Germany and other European countries at dumping prices.
In addition to numerous documents and data carriers, according to investigators, one kilogram of cocaine, almost eleven kilograms of marijuana, more than 500 grams of hashish, several knives, a brass knuckle, a stun gun, a smoke bomb, pepper sprays and a precision slingshot along with steel balls were confiscated.
The officers also seized more than 250 liters of untaxed alcohol, 120 counterfeit Apple Airpods and secured more than 60,000 euros in assets.
The group of perpetrators is said to be related to large Arab families and to organized crime of Russian origin.
kim / AFP