Bust uncovers massive illegal cigarette factory, forced labour

Slovenian authorities dismantled what officials described as one of Europe’s largest illegal cigarette manufacturing operations in eastern Slovenia, rescuing 34 foreign workers trapped in conditions of forced labor. The facility, located in a former industrial complex near Lendava, utilized modern machinery to produce counterfeit cigarettes valued in the millions of euros. Law enforcement agencies announced the discovery on Tuesday, revealing that the plant could manufacture up to five million cigarettes per day using high-speed equipment and dual automated packaging lines. The investigation began when financial investigators intercepted a lorry carrying more than 14 million cigarettes of the same brand produced at the hidden site. Authorities subsequently identified the legal entity operating out of the location, noting it had previously been scrutinized for trading raw tobacco. Dušan Pečnik, a representative for the Financial Administration, stated that officials initially believed the site was merely a warehouse. Upon entering, however, they uncovered a sophisticated production environment equipped with machines for cutting, moistening, aromatizing, coloring, and drying raw tobacco in rotary ovens. The core of the operation featured a technologically advanced cigarette-making machine with massive production capacity, flanked by two packaging lines designed to keep pace with the output. Police and financial administration officials presented the findings at a joint press conference. Pečnik noted that the machinery operated with exceptional efficiency, requiring two separate packaging lines simply to handle the volume of finished products. During the raid, officers seized 44 tonnes of processed tobacco and 14 million manufactured cigarettes directly from the site. An additional 14 million cigarettes were recovered from the intercepted truck. The finished goods bore English-language packaging, suggesting they were destined for export to the United Kingdom or Ireland. Financial losses associated with the operation are substantial. Pečnik calculated that the cigarettes found on-site alone represented approximately 2.1 million euros in unpaid excise duties. The seized tobacco accounted for an additional 5.6 million euros in duties. Including the cargo from the intercepted lorry, total unpaid duties exceeded 10 million euros. While the Financial Administration estimated the illicit profit at roughly nine million euros based on duty calculations, police figures indicated that the perpetrators generated over 10 million euros in unlawful asset gains. Beyond the economic scale of the operation, the case highlighted severe human rights abuses. Officers rescued 34 foreign workers during the sting, 33 of whom were Paraguayan nationals. These individuals had been recruited through agents in South America who promised legal, high-paying factory jobs in Europe, with monthly salaries advertised at up to 10,000 units of currency. In reality, none of the workers received payment. Mitja Jager, director of criminal police at the General Police Department, detailed the coercive measures used to control the workforce. Victims arrived in Europe via Zagreb Airport on tourist visas before being transported to the Lendava site under strict supervision. During transit, workers were forced to remain silent, prohibited from looking at drivers, and occasionally ordered to lie flat across rear seats. Their mobile phones were confiscated, severing all contact with the outside world. Inside the fenced and video-monitored facility, workers lived in windowless, poorly ventilated quarters for days or weeks at a time. They labored in 12-hour shifts without pay or the ability to leave. Jager reported that the rescued individuals expressed deep fear and exploitation, stating they would never have accepted the work had they known the true conditions. Many told officers they were desperately awaiting rescue. The victims have since been placed in asylum homes and are receiving medical, legal, and psychological support. Authorities suspect the operation was orchestrated by an international criminal ring. Local leadership is attributed to two Slovenian citizens from the Maribor region. One suspect has been detained, while police continue to search for the second. The National Bureau of Investigation is leading the probe into suspected tax evasion and human trafficking offenses, supported by special prosecutors. International cooperation is central to the ongoing inquiry. Croatian, Austrian, Hungarian, and Italian law enforcement agencies, along with Europol, are collaborating with Slovenian authorities to trace the supply chain and map the broader criminal network. Officials noted that similar large-scale illegal productions have been discovered in other European countries, but this marks the largest such find in Slovenia’s history. The origin of the raw materials remains under investigation, with Bulgaria and Germany cited as major producers of tobacco in Europe. The exact target market for the cigarettes is still being confirmed, though the English packaging strongly points toward British or Irish consumers.