Credit: Customs and Excise Agency (ADA)
Luxembourg’s Customs and Excise Administration reported that during 2025, customs controls at Luxembourg Airport prevented the criminally organised import of more than half a million smuggled cigarettes in the passenger area.
According to the authorities, a total of 552,000 cigarettes were intercepted over the course of the year, primarily during checks involving passengers arriving via Istanbul Airport. The individuals concerned, mostly originating from Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus, were recruited couriers tasked with transporting the smuggled goods onto the European black market. The final intra-European destination countries of the couriers varied.
The estimated tax loss prevented under Luxembourg law amounts to nearly €168,000.
In a separate operation, Luxembourg’s Customs and Excise Administration intercepted a significant quantity of smuggled cigarettes in the cargo area of Luxembourg Airport in November 2025. Using Findel Airport as a logistical hub, the smuggled goods were discovered in transit within an air freight shipment originating from the United Arab Emirates and destined for the United Kingdom.
The shipment, consisting of eight pallets and declared as electronic goods, was found to contain mainly smuggled cigarettes, with 224 of the 256 cartons holding illicit products. In total, 2,418,400 cigarettes were seized, preventing a substantial tax loss in the United Kingdom.
The customs authorities informed the relevant UK tax authorities through existing mutual administrative assistance mechanisms. The estimated tax loss prevented under Luxembourg law in this case amounts to approximately €735,000.
