Officers from Poland’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBS) have seized an illegal cigarette factory near Warsaw, thought to be the biggest contraband cigarette facility in Europe to date, reports news agency Focus.

Over five million cigarettes and 15 tons of tobacco have been confiscated on the factory in Lazy and another 35 tonnes were found in a warehouse in nearby Piaseczno on the outskirts of Warsaw.
Thirty-two people, including Polish, Lithuanian and Bulgarian nationals, were detained by law enforcement services and 16 of the detainees have been arrested under criminal charges.
The illegally produced cigarettes were to be smuggled to Western Europe. It is estimated the Polish treasury has lost at least PLN 25 million (EUR 6.2 million) in taxes as a result of this one criminal operation alone. (pi)