As part of a clampdown on tobacco smuggling, the Guardia Civil is routinely setting up checkpoints on roads leading away from La Linea.

Most people smuggling tobacco from Gibraltar into Spain go to great lengths to conceal their merchandise. Others, however, make no effort at all.

A smuggler detained this week at the border had simply stashed several cases of cigarettes in the boot of his car and driven across.


When he was stopped, the Guardia Civil officers on duty did not even have to search the vehicle.

The brazen smuggler’s colleague, who was following in the car behind, had done exactly the same.

In total, the Guardia Civil seized 400 cartons of Chesterfield.

The men, both from La Linea, were detained for smuggling offences.

CHECKPOINTS

As part of a clampdown on tobacco smuggling, the Guardia Civil is routinely setting up checkpoints on roads leading away from La Linea.

On the CA-34 this week, searches by the Spanish officers resulted in 207 cartons of contraband cigarettes being seized.

In a separate operation on the A-383, a driver refused to stop at the checkpoint and sped away.

He later gave himself up and 132 cartons of cigarettes of various brands were found inside the vehicle.