• There are eight people responsible for the criminal act, who used their own homes to carry out the illegal activities.

• A total of 226 kilos of strip tobacco leaves and 132 kilos of cut tobacco prepared for sale, lacking any fiscal or sanitary control, were seized during the searches.

• A scale, two tobacco chopping machines and five machines for the manufacture, processing and tubing of homemade cigarettes were also seized, as well as 35 grams of hashish, a revolver and ammunition, as well as 19,233 euros.

July 7, 2023.- Officials of the Customs Surveillance Operational Unit of the Tax Agency in Extremadura and the Tax Detachment of the Civil Guard of Valdebótoa-Badajoz, within the framework of the Joint Operation 'Customs Rybak', have dismantled three points of reception, processing, distribution and clandestine sale of cut tobacco in Badajoz.

This operation began last March, when investigators intercepted on several occasions in this capital of Badajoz, people who, unrelated to each other, were carrying small quantities of perfectly bagged tobacco without fiscal or sanitary control, whose destination could be the clandestine manufacture of homemade cigarettes for later sale.

Given the suspicion of the existence of a distribution point nearby, this operation was initiated to try to locate it.

From the actions taken and the inquiries obtained during the course of the investigation, it was possible to discover the existence of a perfectly organized criminal group that would be dedicated to the reception, processing, manufacturing and distribution of contraband tobacco.

People with well-defined roles within the organization operated under the command of two leaders, who clearly defined the tasks of each of the members, all of them residents of this capital of Badajoz.

With the location of three addresses from where the criminal activity was carried out, service devices were established around them, observing the criminals' entrances and exits in the properties, supposedly with illegal tobacco.

The operation

In light of the incriminating evidence and after coordination with the Court and the Public Prosecutor's Office of Badajoz, a search was carried out on Monday, June 26, where a total of 226.5 kilos of 'strip' (de-stemmed tobacco leaves) and 132.8 kilos of cut tobacco were found in boxes, distributed in bags and already prepared for sale, lacking any fiscal or health control.

In addition to the tobacco, investigators found two machines for chopping and packaging, and five machines for tube-rolling and manufacturing 'homemade' cigarettes that the organization sold clandestinely. During the inspections, they were able to find a total of 2,600 cigarettes.

Also seized were 35 grams of hashish, a revolver and ammunition of various calibres, as well as 19,233 euros allegedly from criminal activities related to tobacco smuggling.

With the incriminating evidence, the two ringleaders were arrested and the remaining six were investigated for their involvement in crimes of smuggling, against public health, illegal possession of weapons and membership in a criminal group. Those arrested and investigated have been placed at the disposal of the Court of Instruction of Badajoz.

These illegal activities not only cause economic damage to the public treasury, but also put people's health at risk as these products lack any type of health guarantee.