(Luxembourg, 15 January 2025) – In an investigation led by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Palermo (Italy), the Italian Financial Police (Guardia di Finanza) carried out searches in the provinces of Palermo, Trapani, and Naples today. As part of the action, 14 suspects were arrested, two were placed under house arrest, and assets worth approximately €1 million were seized.
The suspects are believed to be members of international criminal associations active in the illicit trade of 22 tonnes of cigarettes between both North Africa and Eastern Europe, and Italy, causing €850 000 in financial damage to the EU due to unpaid customs duties. If the cigarettes had not been confiscated during a previous action, the criminal associations would have generated a profit of €4 million by selling them on the market.
All persons concerned are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in the competent Italian courts of law.
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) is the independent public prosecution office of the European Union. It is responsible for investigating, prosecuting and bringing to judgment crimes against the financial interests of the EU.