Spanish customs and police authorities at the Port of Almería carried out a significant seizure on Thursday, intercepting a bus arriving from Nador, Morocco, in an attempted smuggling operation involving a large quantity of untaxed cigarettes and a substantial amount of undeclared cash.
According to La Voz de Almería, the discovery was made during a routine inspection at the port. Authorities grew suspicious of a bus that had just disembarked from Morocco and directed it to a secondary inspection point. Upon thorough examination, officers uncovered 890 packs of cigarettes hidden throughout the vehicle. The cigarettes bore no Spanish tax stamps, indicating they had been smuggled in without customs clearance.
Further inspection revealed a bag containing €200,000 in cash, stored near the driver’s cabin. The driver, a Moroccan national, was immediately detained, and a formal investigation was launched under suspicion of smuggling and money laundering.
Authorities have filed an administrative report related to the illicit tobacco transport while continuing to investigate the origin of the large sum of money found onboard.
The suspect has been referred to the public prosecutor’s office in Almería, where judicial proceedings are expected to determine whether multiple charges will be filed, including smuggling and tax evasion.
This operation comes as Spanish authorities ramp up controls at maritime border crossings with Morocco, especially during the busy summer travel season when smuggling attempts tend to rise. Officials emphasize that such preventive measures are crucial to safeguarding the national economy and protecting tax revenues and public health, particularly concerning unregulated tobacco products.
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