From the beginning of the year and up to now, as
a result of the actions carried out in the competence area, the
border policemen detained in order to seize - independently or
together with other institutions - more than 1,360,000 packets of
cigarettes, amounting to approximately 6,100,000 lei.
This year, the quantity of cigarettes seized by the border
policemen has tripled in comparison to the similar period in
2009.
At the same time, the Border Police, in collaboration with the other structures with duties in this field - Romanian Police, Customs National Authority and Financial Guard - enhanced the actions of prevention and fight against illegal trafficking with cigarettes and alcohol, in the border crossing points where duty-free shops function.
From the beginning of the year and up to now, as a result of the actions carried out in the competence area, the border policemen detained in order to seize - independently or together with other institutions - more than 1.360.000 packets of cigarettes, amounting to approximately 6,100,000 lei. In comparison to the same period in 2009, an increase of more than 3.6 times of the seized quantity of cigarettes was ascertained.
In most of the cases, the cigarettes were detected both in the border crossing points, hidden in transportation means, and in the competence area, near the border. The cigarettes were purchased without legal documents with the purpose to be merchandised on the markets inside the country.
The persons involved originated mainly from Romania and Republic of Moldova and were contraventional sanctioned or are criminal investigated, according to the legal provisions.
At the same time, in 2009, the border policemen - independently or together with the Customs inspectors or representatives of other authorized institutions - detained in order to seize approximately 8,532,793 packets of smuggled cigarettes, amounting to more than 7.3 million Euros (30,778,408 lei).
Having in view that in this period, the economic operators authorized to carry out activities for merchandising the freight in duty-free regime, take measures to liquidate the alcoholic drinks and tobacco products, as a result of entering into force of the Order of Public Finances Minister no 202/12.02.2010, Border Police, in collaboration with the other structures with duties in this field - Customs National Authority, Financial Guard and Romanian Police - undertook measures in order to counter illicit trafficking of these goods.
Thus, in the competence area, meaning the border crossing points and the border area (30 km.), several measures were taken:
continuation of actions in the field of prevention and countering trafficking of goods and especially, trafficking in cigarettes, through a more active involvement of all responsible factors; monitoring the areas in which the duty-free shops are placed, in collaboration with the other institutions with duties in the field, in order to prevent and counter illicit trafficking in excised products; enhancing information-operational actions and qualified research of recorded cases, without limiting only to the capture, in order to detect the entire network of traffickers; continuous monitoring by all leading factors of all aspects connected to the smuggling phenomenon, in all forms, which is manifesting in all the responsibility areas.Taking into account the prejudices caused to the state budget, Romanian Border Police will continue to undertake, together with the other authorized structures, firm measures in all the competence areas, in order to detect and sanction the persons involved in the illegal trafficking in consumer's goods (including cigarettes), as well as to detain in order to confiscate the trafficked freights.