The police in Sarcelles arrested two suspected cigarette traffickers on Monday, June 25, and Wednesday, June 26, last week, for counterfeit cigarettes from Pontoise and Gonesse. 1,433 cartons of cigarettes were found in cars during checks.
The consumption of smuggled tobacco continues to rise in Val-d’Oise, much to the dismay of tobacconists. It accounts for 20% of overall consumption in the department, compared to nearly 15% nationwide. A black market for tobacco that is expected to keep growing with the successive price increases of packs in the area.
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Traffickers, drawn to this lucrative business, now operate openly in the streets, in front of passersby. The operations carried out by law enforcement – as part of the agreement signed in June 2023 by the Pontoise prosecutors, the prefecture, the police, the gendarmerie, and customs to curb the black market – do not seem to deter traffickers.
13 police officers from Sarcelles conducted an operation against the sale of smuggled cigarettes at the Garges-Sarcelles station on Monday, June 17. This operation led to the arrest of three street sellers and the seizure of 238 packs.
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Check for a poorly parked car
During the week of June 24, 1,433 cartons of counterfeit cigarettes were intercepted by law enforcement. This seizure was made unexpectedly after simple traffic checks. On Monday evening, a poorly parked Peugeot 308 Sw in the Cressonnières business area of Gonesse caught the attention of a patrol.
The patrol asked the driver to present the papers for the Peugeot and to open the trunk. There, the police discovered cartons of cigarettes stored in four boxes. The officers then inspected the box from which the individual had just emerged. It housed several hundred cartons of cigarettes. In total, 883 cartons were seized.
The suspected trafficker, who also had 4,000 euros in cash, was placed in police custody. He identified himself as a 27-year-old homeless person from Stains, in Seine-Saint-Denis. The man did not provide any details regarding the origin of the cigarettes and the money.
A stock of illegal Marlboro cigarettes
On Wednesday, June 26, in Pontoise, specifically on mail de la Cavalerie street, police stopped a utility vehicle that appeared to be overloaded for inspection. The back of the vehicle was loaded with boxes containing Marlboro brand packs. 550 cartons of counterfeit cigarettes were seized.
The 22-year-old man placed in police custody claims not to know where the goods came from.