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Cuba's Customs detected over 26,000 counterfeit seals from well-known Cuban tobacco brands that were being smuggled from the United States through Havana's international airport. The counterfeit seals were intended to legitimize tobacco products meant for illegal sale within the country.
The information was confirmed by the first deputy chief of the General Customs of the Republic, William Pérez González, who published the details on the social network X.
According to the explanation, the operation allowed for the identification of the irregular shipment and the reporting of the case to the National Revolutionary Police (PNR).
In another inspection carried out by the authorities, an additional 99 boxes and over 300 loose cigars from various recognized brands were seized, which were intended to be illegally exported from Cuba to Europe, the official emphasized on X.
The two individuals involved in this incident were also reported to the PNR.
The Customs Authority reiterated that it will maintain strict surveillance at airports and borders to combat smuggling and the counterfeiting of export products, a crime that impacts the image and control of one of the most emblematic sectors of the Cuban economy.
Customs surveillance in Cuba has strengthened its controls due to the rise in attempts to smuggle tobacco. In recent weeks, officials detected more than 2,200 cigars hidden in the luggage of a passenger at Havana's international airport.
The merchandise was attempting to leave the country undeclared, violating the current export regulations.
Similar cases had been reported previously. One of the most significant seizures was the confiscation of more than 7,000 cigars that a traveler was transporting to be taken abroad, also at the Havana terminal.
The volume of the shipment raised alarms due to the recurring pattern in these attempts at illicit departure.
Additionally, days earlier, there was a report about an operation aimed at smuggling thousands of counterfeit cigars out of the island, which reveals not only the use of trade routes for smuggling but also the presence of organized counterfeiting networks seeking to introduce unauthorized products into the market under recognized brands.
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