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Europa Press
Malaga
Wednesday, 13 November 2024, 12:00
Guardia Civil officers have arrested ten people after dismantling a large counterfeit cigarette factory in the Malaga province town of Alhaurín el Grande.
Officers seized 1,448 packs of counterfeit tobacco from the factory which operated 24 hours a day and distributed cigarettes throughout Spain, providing an estimated turnover of four million euros a month.
The police operation started last September when investigators discovered that several people were sleeping in a warehouse on an industrial estate in the Guadalhorce valley town. After several weeks of surveillance, officers concluded the industrial unit housed a clandestine tobacco factory where cigarettes of four internationally known brands were manufactured and counterfeited, which were then distributed throughout Spain.
On 24 October, during surveillance of the warehouse, investigators swooped when a lorry with false number plates tried to enter the premises. After arresting the driver, police entered the warehouse and found nine people inside. After making the corresponding arrests, the search of the building and the vehicle confirmed the site was manufacturing fake tobacco.
Police also found the factory had a large production capacity and a considerable level of sophistication. A powerful self-contained generator set was found to power the machinery, as well as 500 litres of fuel.
To avoid detection, the factory operators had soundproofed the generator and made an exhaust pipe to expel the gases. During the search, police officers seized 1,448 packets of cigarettes ready for sale, as well as 2,040 kilograms of cigarette 'mince', a large amount of materials such as paper, filters or mouthpieces, machinery, silk-screened plates with the name of the commercial brands and packets ready to be assembled.
The ten detainees were handed over to the courts, where they were ordered to be remanded in prison.
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