Video: 1,077 packages of smuggled cigarettes hidden in a vehicle detected at Petea

1,077 packages of smuggled cigarettes hidden in a vehicle detected at Petea Land Border Crossing Point

Romanian Border Police officers within Satu Mare Border Police County Inspectorate detected 1,077 packages of cigarettes, Ukrainian made, hidden in a vehicle.

Monday, 29th of August 2011, around 08.00, at Petea Border Crossing Point a Romanian citizen, Emeric V., 34 years old, driving an Opel Zafira registered in Poland, came to the check point in order to enter Romania. He was travelling together with Andrei H. from Satu Mare County, a 32 years old Romanian citizen. On the occasion of border check regarding the car, the Border Police officers detected hidden inside it, 1,077 packages of cigarettes Ukrainian made, valuing 4,566 lei.

In regards to aforementioned crime, the person accompanying the driver stated that he bought the cigarettes in Hungary from a Ukrainian citizen, in order to sell them in Romania.

Investigations are in process in regards to the following crimes: holding, making, transporting, storing, and selling goods and merchandise which were supposed to be under a custom’s regime, being known the fact that the cigarettes were smuggled.

The amount of cigarettes was seized and the vehicle blocked on the premises of the Satu Mare Border Police County Inspectorate till the end of the investigation.

Statistics regarding Romanian Border Police activity in the last 24 hours

In the last 24 hours, in the competence areas - meaning border crossing points and "green border" - Border Police officers detected:

• 59 illegal deeds (15 crimes and 44 penalties) committed by Romanian and foreign citizens;
• the amount of penalties reaches approximately 9,200 lei;
• undeclared goods (which were to be smuggled into the country), which exceeded the customs’ legal provisions or were suspected as being counterfeit with a total value of 393,000 lei, were detected;
• the flow of passengers and means of transportation at the border crossing points was about 139,000 people, both at the entry and at the exit and over 34,700 means of transportation.
  14 foreign citizens were refused entry due to the fact that they did not meet the entry requirements and also 2 foreign and 34 Romanian citizens were not allowed to exit Romania out of various legal grounds.