MADRID, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- The Spanish Civil Guard on Wednesday reported they have dismantled four factories dedicated to making counterfeit cigarettes in the biggest police operation of its kind in Spain.
The factories were located in the provinces of Toledo, central Spain, and Seville, southern Spain. The Civil Guard said the four factories operated around the clock and were able to manufacture a total of 34,000 packs of cigarettes (worth 153,000 euros) an hour.
"Operation Lerna" also led to 47 arrests, of whom 16 people remain in custody, and the seizure of 69 tonnes of tobacco and 2.37 million cigarette cartons, which would have had a street value of over 22 million euros.
The detainees were nine Ukrainians, a Bulgarian, six Rumanians, 28 Moldovans, as well as a Frenchman and two Spanish citizens.
The four factories had been operating for two months and were controlled by an organization led by a Bulgarian national who also has links to drug trafficking, explained Balas.
The organization worked by bringing in tobacco leaves from countries such as Bulgaria and Moldova with the finished product packed in fake cartons to resemble major tobacco brands.
The fake cigarettes were then distributed throughout southern and eastern Spain and also possibly transported to Britain.
The Civill Guards said that the majority of the workers lived in poor conditions in buildings attached to the factories "where they had several beds, kitchen implements, food, drink and a rudimentary gymnasium." The workers were not allowed to leave the premises and or to smoke due to the fire risk.
