Operation ‘Swimming Salt’' – One of the most serious organised crime investigations ever on the Danube

Abstract

On the 11th of October in 2021, about 2,8 million boxes (i.e. 57 million pieces) of untaxed cigarettes were seized by the National Tax and Customs Administration of Hungary (NTCA) from a Ukrainian barge in the town of Paks and on the next day in a warehouse in Pest county. The confiscated cargo was hidden in rock salt sling-bags. Four perpetrators have been arrested during this HUF 5,5 billion value case, which is an unprecedented detection in the history of Hungarian Customs related to cigarette smuggling. The organized group of Hungarian citizens of Ukrainian origin caused almost HUF 4 billion in damage to the budget through the fraud of VAT and excise duties. During the operation three persons were caught red-handed and the fourth suspect was captured by Customs Officers during the escape. All of them were detained and the court ordered their arrest. The NTCA was investigating suspected budget fraud and money laundering. The perpetrators could face up to 20 years in prison. The international aspects of the operation were coordinated by the Europol under international criminal and judicial cooperation. Thanks to great analytical work done by investigators of the Customs, a network of companies and invoicing chain was able to establish, which, through international cooperation, led to Polish, Czech, Romanian and Ukrainian companies. It has been revealed, that they not for the first time, benefited from this method. But was the unravelling of the case a complete success, or were there mistakes that could weaken the security of the Danube River? In the light of this case study, what are the possibilities for further developing international cooperation on the Danube?