Holy smoke! German customs seizes 10 tons of shisha tobacco

slabsofdank

2021 COE Winner
link

Holy smoke! German customs seizes 10 tons of shisha tobacco
Posted: Nov 19, 2020 / 09:00 AM CST / Updated: Nov 19, 2020 / 09:00 AM CST
BERLIN (AP) — German authorities have seized 10.2 metric tonnes (11.2 tons) of water pipe tobacco they say was being smuggled into Berlin from the Mideast to avoid import taxes, officials said Thursday.

The overnight operation carried out by police and customs officials Tuesday came as the culmination of an investigation that began during the summer of a German-Iraqi network that distributed illegal tobacco to hookah bars Europe-wide, German officials said.

Authorities allege that three suspects between the ages of 27 and 35 operated three legal shops and also the illegal smuggling operation. Some 200,000 euros ($237,000) in import duties should have been paid on the tobacco seized, authorities said.

The 35-year-old accused of being the ringleader is an alleged member of a known Berlin crime family. Neither the names of the suspects nor the family were released.

Authorities did not say where in the Middle East the tobacco came from.

Copyright 2020 The Associated Press.
 
Looks like I'm in the wrong business, not really. But really!
Big money in shisha apparently.
In Canada it's the only product that's allowed to be smoked (at a shisha bar).
A bit hypocritical imo but I won't hate...
 
Back
Top