Large consignments of contraband cigarettes seized in north-east Hungary

Border guards seized contraband cigarettes worth over Ft 38.5 million (€ 140,000) in four separate operations in Szabolcs-Szatmár county near the Ukrainian border over the past four days, a regional border guards spokesperson told MTI (Hungarian Newswire) on Wednesday. In the largest catch border guards confiscated 50,000 packages of cigarettes worth Ft 23 million (€ 83,600) from a Hungarian truck at the dam of the Túr river on Sunday, Judit Jászai said. In an Ukrainian registered car, which followed the Hungarian truck, 14,000 packs of untaxed Ukrainian cigarettes worth Ft 6.4 million (€ 23,200) were taken at Nagyecsed, where the vehicle was left overturned in a roadside ditch after the driver fled the scene, she added. At the village of Beregsurány, guards seized 10,000 packs worth Ft 4.5 million (€ 16,300) from three Hungarian nationals and a similar amount was confiscated from a Hungarian driver during road inspection at Kocsord, Jaszai said. (Mti-Eco)