Thessaloniki cafe-bar uncovered as hookah tobacco smuggling ring

Inspectors from the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) have uncovered an organized smuggling and counterfeiting operation at a cafe-bar in central Thessaloniki. During a surprise inspection, authorities seized 20 kilograms of unlabeled hookah tobacco mixtures found inside a locked metal chest in the establishment's office.

On the ground floor, investigators discovered a makeshift preparation area where the ring refilled worn, branded tobacco boxes with illicit tobacco from transparent bags. To give the products a veneer of legitimacy, the perpetrators had removed tax stamps from legal packaging and reapplied them using adhesive tape to allow for repeated use.

Samples of the seized tobacco have been sent to the General State Laboratory for analysis. Authorities are currently calculating the total amount of evaded duties and taxes.