Dutch Customs Seize 106 Million Illegal Cigarettes, Tighten Anti‑Smuggling

The Dutch Customs authority reported seizing 106 million illegal cigarettes in the first half of 2026, most of them in sea containers. Director‑general Nanette van Schelven said tobacco smuggling has become a stable revenue stream for organized crime, driven by high excise taxes. The agency plans to expand the Smoke joint task‑force with the Fiscal Intelligence and Investigation Service (FIOD), and has introduced an algorithm at Schiphol Airport to flag luggage containing more than a single carton of cigarettes. In addition to tobacco, customs seized 19 332 kg of cocaine and 7 894 kg of cannabis, noting a 20 % rise in cocaine and a 62 % drop in cannabis compared with the previous year.

Belgian Customs reported a sharp decline in cocaine seizures at the port of Antwerp, from 16.7 tonnes in the first half of 2025 to 5.4 tonnes in the same period of 2026, attributing the change to criminal networks breaking shipments into smaller consignments. The White Sea VI operation, coordinated by Belgian customs with fourteen European partners, intercepted 454 kg of cocaine and resulted in five arrests. Cannabis and hashish seizures rose, prompting a joint information‑exchange agreement with Canada’s border agency.

A KPMG study for Philip Morris highlighted that illegal cigarettes accounted for 23.3 % of Mexico’s total cigarette consumption in 2025, amounting to 9.19 billion units, making Mexico the region’s second‑largest illicit‑tobacco market after Brazil. The report linked the trade to organized‑crime networks and cross‑border routes.