Extinguishing work after a fire in a factory hall in Neuss has uncovered illegal production facilities for shisha tobacco. Two suspects were arrested, as the customs investigation office in Essen announced on Friday. After the fire, the fire brigade and police came across large amounts of tobacco and chemicals in two adjacent factory halls. As a result, officials from the customs investigation office searched the halls at the beginning of the week and seized more than five tons of water pipe tobacco, a good four tons of raw tobacco, 167 kilos of smoking tobacco as well as primary materials, packaging and manufacturing equipment.
Neuss - In a hall there was also a living room for the workers of the illegal production.
Two Tajik nationals arrested locally were later held in custody.
More than 34 tons of shisha tobacco could have been made from the confiscated raw tobacco - with a tax loss of almost 900,000 euros, as the investigators emphasized.
dpa