More than seven tonnes of contraband cigarettes were seized Thursday by customs officers from the Tours surveillance brigade during a road check, for a market value of 4.75 million euros, the Rennes prosecutor's office announced on Monday.
Driver indicted
The discovery of 7.6 tonnes of counterfeit tobacco took place during the check of a heavy goods vehicle registered in Romania and parked on the emergency lane
“between Blois and the Chatière area at the municipal level of St-Sulpice-de-Pommeray (Loir-et-Cher)”
, according to a press release from the Rennes public prosecutor, Philippe Astruc.
On Saturday,
"the accused, aged 42, of Romanian nationality and with no criminal record in France, was referred to the Rennes public prosecutor's office"
, according to the press release.
A judicial investigation was opened
"on counts of possession of manufactured tobacco in an organized gang without regular supporting documents, of smuggling and organized gang importation of manufactured tobacco and of criminal association"
, specifies the prosecutor.
The driver was indicted
“for all of the facts referred to”
“with the exception of the offense of aggravated money laundering”
and was placed in pre-trial detention.