They produced millions of cigarettes a day: Finance Police raid dismantles black market factory

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They Produced Millions of Cigarettes a Day Finance Blitz Dismantles Black Market Factory 2026 07 23

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A check along the A1 motorway has become one of the most significant operations against tobacco smuggling in recent months. Financial officers from the Guardia di Finanza Provincial Commands of Caserta and Frosinone dismantled a sophisticated clandestine cigarette factory operating in the province of Pavia and a logistics warehouse in the province of Cremona, seizing a total of approximately 18 tons of processed tobacco and cigarettes, as well as the entire production line.

The investigation, coordinated by the Caserta Economic and Financial Police Unit and the Cassino Group, began as part of the extraordinary checks implemented along the main highways to combat illicit trafficking.

The van was tailed and the illegal cargo was discovered

The military's attention focused on a van with Italian license plates, already spotted several times along the A1 motorway near the Cassino toll booth while traveling towards Naples.

The vehicle was followed and subsequently stopped for inspection. Over 50 packs of contraband cigarettes, bearing the Marlboro and Winston brands, destined for the illicit market, were found inside.
The driver, an Italian citizen originally from Campania, was arrested on charges of tobacco smuggling by order of the Public Prosecutor's Office of Santa Maria Capua Vetere.

Investigations lead to the clandestine factory. Investigative investigations have allowed the van's route to be reconstructed, leading to a warehouse in the province of Cremona and then to an industrial warehouse of approximately 5.000 square meters located in Campospinoso Albaredo, in the Pavia area.

With the support of the Guardia di Finanza (Fiamme Gialle) of Cremona, Pavia, Voghera, and Crema, the raid uncovered a full-scale industrial facility dedicated entirely to the illegal production of cigarettes.

The plant was equipped with machinery capable of managing the entire production cycle: from drying and processing the tobacco to packaging the packets and crates intended for distribution.

Foreign workers and dormitory inside the factory

Inside the factory, the financial police caught twelve foreign citizens, including Ukrainians and Moldovans, busy with the work.

The facility was organized to ensure continuous production: in addition to the production departments, there were dormitories, a kitchen, a refectory, a laundry, and areas for storing food, a sign that the workers lived permanently within the complex.

To avoid attracting attention, the managers had also covered the walls with sound-absorbing materials and powered the machinery via generators, so as not to reveal abnormal electricity consumption.

Machinery, millions of filters and 300 packets seized

Large quantities of raw materials, finished products, and equipment used to transport goods were found in the Spino d'Adda warehouse in the province of Cremona.
The outcome of the operation is particularly significant:
approximately 300.000 packs of cigarettes ready for sale;
13 tons of processed tobacco;
millions of filters and packaging materials;
two complete industrial lines for production;
vehicles used for transport;
the two warehouses used as a factory and warehouse.

The total value of the seized material and the production plant was estimated at approximately 5 million euros.
A heavy blow to the black market of tobacco

The operation represents a severe blow to the organizations that fuel the black market in tobacco, a sector that drains the Treasury of significant resources, distorts competition, and places products on the market without any health controls.

The judicial record is one arrest and fourteen people charged with tobacco smuggling and trademark counterfeiting. As required by law, all suspects are presumed innocent pending a final sentence.

What to know

Key points on the operation against cigarette smuggling

Here is a summary of the main aspects of the operation conducted by the Guardia di Finanza against the clandestine cigarette factory.

Place of operation: Province of Pavia and warehouse in the province of Cremona.
Quantity seized: Approximately 18 tons of manufactured tobacco and cigarettes.
Arrests: One arrest and fourteen people reported for smuggling.
Factory structure: Plant equipped with machinery for the entire production cycle and areas for workers to stay.
Value of the seizure: The total value of the seized material is estimated at approximately 5 million euros.