The largest seizures in 2025 were made in the North-East (44.1 million cigarettes), South-East (41.2 million), and West (27.4 million), traditionally vulnerable areas due to their proximity to non-EU borders, where tobacco product prices can be up to three times lower.
According to Stop Contrabanda data, Suceava, Constanța, and Timiș counties top the list for the highest volumes of cigarettes intended for illicit trafficking this year.
“2025 marks an unprecedented moment in terms of the scale of illicit tobacco product trafficking. Record seizures and the growth of the black market above the European average highlight the need for a coordinated approach between authorities, industry, and consumers. We commend the efforts of the Border Police, the Romanian Police, and the Customs Authority in dismantling criminal networks and confiscating contraband this year. To effectively combat this phenomenon, a balanced and predictable fiscal framework is essential, aligned with economic realities and designed not to drive consumers toward the illicit market (…),” said Ileana Dumitru, Director of External Affairs for the South-East Europe Area, BAT.
2025 marks the largest seizures of illegal cigarettes recorded in the past eight years, since the launch of the StopContrabanda.ro platform, which aggregates contraband cigarette seizures nationwide.
• In Suceava (April): Over 32.1 million cigarettes confiscated, worth more than RON16 million, following a large-scale operation involving 26 home search warrants across several counties, including Sibiu, Dolj, Teleorman, Galati, Iasi, Satu Mare, Bihor, Neamt, Prahova, and Bucharest.
• In Timis (June): Authorities recorded a record seizure of 25 million cigarettes, while dismantling a cross-border criminal group through international cooperation.
• Seizure of the Year (Sibiu, August 21st, 2025): Romanian authorities discovered an illegal cigarette manufacturing facility, where they found over 61 tons of tobacco (black-market value approx. RON153 million) and 23.3 million cigarettes (worth RON35 million).
In addition to these cases, authorities reported sophisticated methods of concealing and transporting illegal products, from cigarettes hidden in footwear (Iasi, September 2025) to packs concealed inside toy parts (Botoșani, September 2025).
“Tobacco product smuggling remains a significant challenge at Romania’s borders, with a direct impact on the national economy and state budget revenues. In the first nine months of 2025, Border Police seized over 5,1 million packs of cigarettes, worth approximately RON105,8 million, of which more than 4,4 million packs originated from smuggling activities. Additionally, over 63 tons of loose tobacco were discovered, along with other quantities intended for pipes and hookahs, and because of complex operations, two criminal groups involved in this type of trafficking were dismantled. (…),” stated Cornel Laurian Stoica, Chief Inspector of the Romanian Border Police.
“Combating smuggling remains one of the major priorities of the Romanian Customs Authority. Faced with increasingly sophisticated networks, our response is the ongoing modernization of control infrastructure, increased operational capacity, and strengthened inter-institutional cooperation. Through the national customs security project, funded by European and national sources, worth over EUR138,000,000, we are equipping border customs offices with 31 X-ray scanning systems and over 300 portable devices, which will enable fast and efficient checks of transport vehicles and discourage illicit trafficking (…),” said Alexandru Bogdan Balan, President of the Romanian Customs Authority.
According to Novel Research, Romania’s illicit cigarette market reached 12% in July 2025 – the highest level in the last five years – before stabilizing at 9.6% in October, compared to an annual average of 9% in 2024. The average level of illicit cigarette trafficking in the European Union is 9.2%. The growth of this phenomenon is driven by factors such as:
• Intensification of trade flows following Romania’s accession to the Schengen Area
• Significant price differences for tobacco products in neighboring countries
• Declining local purchasing power and repeated increases in taxation levels