Massive Cigarette Smuggling Ring Busted at Ashdod Port

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Israeli customs at Ashdod Port seized over 200 million shekels worth of smuggled cigarettes in one of the largest busts ever. The cigarettes were hidden in containers declared as wheat flour, arriving from Egypt. An investigation is underway, with authorities suspecting widespread involvement and potential links to terror financing.

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Customs officials seized over 200 million shekels in smuggled cigarettes at Ashdod Port.
The bust involved at least eight containers, one of the largest tobacco smuggling operations ever.
The cigarettes were hidden in shipments declared as wheat flour, arriving from Egypt.
An investigation is ongoing, with the importer's arrest extended.
Officials fear the cigarettes could fund terrorism or be used for money laundering.

Customs officials at Ashdod Port thwarted one of the largest tobacco smuggling operations ever discovered in Israel on Tuesday, seizing at least eight shipping containers filled with hundreds of thousands of cigarette packs valued at over 200 million shekels.

The smuggled cigarettes arrived at the port concealed within three shipments, declared as containing wheat flour. Upon inspection, customs found that while some containers held flour, others were packed with cigarettes intended for sale in Israel, evading significant tax payments.

An investigation has been launched by the Ashdod Customs and Drugs Unit. Authorities suspect numerous individuals are involved, including the importer of record for the containers. The importer was brought before the Ashkelon Magistrate's Court, and their arrest has been extended.

Gil Haziz, the manager of the Ashdod Port Customs House, described the seizure as the largest he had ever witnessed, potentially the biggest ever uncovered by customs. He warned that if the smuggling had succeeded, it would have resulted in substantial revenue losses for the state and harmed the Israeli economy. Haziz also expressed concern that some of the cigarettes might have been destined for the Gaza Strip, potentially for money laundering and terror financing.