Italy's financial police have uncovered the largest illegal cigarette factory in the country's history. According to the Guardia di Finanza, the underground facility had a production capacity of over seven million cigarettes per day.
More than 150 tons of cigarettes were seized there.
The 1,600-square-meter factory was hidden beneath a supposedly empty logistics center near the small town of Cassino in central Italy, about a two-hour drive southeast of Rome. In one warehouse, officers found a “hidden” control box that opened into bunker-like rooms.
“State-of-the-art technological standards”
In its statement, the Guardia di Finanza described it as a “true industrial facility” built to “state-of-the-art technological standards.” The factory was equipped, among other things, with a ventilation system that prevented the release of suspicious exhaust gases. The bedrooms and living rooms for 18 employees, including a kitchen, dining room and bathroom, were also located underground.
The illegal goods were allegedly distributed both in Italy and in other EU countries. Annual revenues from the sale of illegal cigarettes are estimated to have been around 900 million euros.
The factory operators are suspected of defrauding the Italian state of more than half a billion euros in taxes, according to the financial police. One arrest has been made so far and several other suspects are under investigation./ DW
