Swedes sniff out garlic smugglers

on 09/01/2013 16:56:18

Two British people suspected of masterminding a smuggling ring involving over a ton of Chinese garlic are wanted by Swedish police.

Stockholm prosecutor Thomas Ahlstrand said the men first shipped the garlic to Norway by boat, where it entered the country duty-free since it was considered to be in transit. They then drove it across the Swedish border, avoiding customs checks and Swedish import duties.

They avoided €10m in Swedish taxes through the scheme.

The prosecutor said a lengthy police investigation led to the identification of the two Britons allegedly behind the operation, which took place in 2009-2010.