German customs investigators raided an industrial warehouse in the Mettmann district earlier this week, dismantling a secret factory containing over 11 million finished cigarettes and more than 11 tons of fine-cut tobacco, according to the Zollfahndungsamt Essen. The operation involved roughly 350 customs officers and police personnel who apprehended 19 individuals inside the hall alongside two primary suspects arrested at a separate apartment where authorities seized over 50,000 euros in cash.
Mettmann Warehouse Raid and Tax Evasion Charges
The 21 detained individuals face charges of extensive, organized tax evasion and commercial tax fraud following the raid in western Germany. According to the Essen customs office, the manufacturing facility had been operating since May under the control of an alleged Eastern European criminal group. Investigators estimate the underground operation produced more than 130 million cigarettes without paying tobacco duties, generating an estimated tax loss of roughly 28 million euros. Under German law, the offenses carry prison sentences ranging from six months to ten years. Officials noted that the operators used professional modifications on the warehouse building to minimize detection risks and manufactured counterfeits of well-known cigarette brands using recovered packaging materials.
Cross-Border Crackdowns in Belgium and Spain
The German raid follows similar underground factory discoveries across Europe. Just two weeks prior to the Mettmann action, Belgian authorities raided a concealed production facility behind an anonymous warehouse facade in Ninove, west of Brussels, seizing over 4.5 million illegal cigarettes and arresting 11 people. Bloomberg reported that the Belgian facility could produce up to one million counterfeit cigarettes daily, with workers living inside the building on mattresses alongside basic supplies. In Spain, national police and Europol uncovered four active and two inactive manufacturing sites in June, seizing over 20 million cigarettes and 38.4 ton of tobacco while arresting 50 suspects in an operation supported by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF).
Europol Data on Shifting Criminal Networks
Europol attributes the proliferation of domestic manufacturing sites to tightened controls at the European Union’s eastern borders, which has driven criminal syndicates to relocate production closer to consumer markets. Financial Times cited Europol figures showing that law enforcement discovered 83 illegal manufacturing facilities across member states in 2025, a sharp increase from 47 facilities recorded in 2018. The growing trend highlights a strategic shift by transnational networks toward localized underground production to bypass border inspections.
Did you know? Europol data shows that illegal cigarette manufacturing facilities detected across the European Union nearly doubled between 2018 and 2025, rising from 47 to 83 operations as networks moved production closer to end markets.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many cigarettes were seized in Mettmann?
Customs officers seized over 11 million finished cigarettes and more than 11 tons of fine-cut tobacco during the raid on the industrial warehouse.
What are the potential penalties for the suspects?
The 21 detained individuals face charges of organized tax evasion and commercial tax fraud, which carry maximum prison sentences of up to ten years under German law.
Why are illegal factories moving into Western Europe?
According to Europol, stricter border controls along the European Union’s eastern frontier have prompted international criminal networks to shift production sites closer to their final consumer markets.
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