A police patrol from the Zennevallei zone intercepted a vehicle carrying 200,000 illegal cigarettes in Ruisbroek (Flemish Brabant) on Friday night.
The cartons of cigarettes were confiscated, and both the driver and the passenger were questioned, local police reported.
Police spokesperson Joost Van Liefferinge stated that they noticed a vehicle with French plates on Boulevard de l'Humanité heading from Forest towards Ruisbroek.
Through the tinted rear windows, officers could see cartons in the back of the car, prompting them to intercept the vehicle near the Brussels Ring exit in Ruisbroek.
Upon inspection, officers discovered cigarette cartons in one slightly open box. The vehicle and its two passengers were taken to the police station where they found 20 cartons, totalling 200,000 cigarettes.
The cigarettes were identified as Marlboro Red and Gold, labelled for duty-free sale and without Belgian excise tax markings.
All the cigarettes were confiscated, and the driver and passenger, born in 1976 and 1968 respectively, have been identified. Their roles in the case are under investigation.
