Homemade cigarette machine seized - German customs busts illegal cigarette factory in apartment raid
Customs officials in Germany have uncovered an illegal cigarette-making operation in the Upper Palatinate. A homemade machine capable of producing hundreds of cigarettes per hour was seized during a search. The discovery comes as stricter regulations have reduced the spread of such devices in recent years.
The machine was found in an apartment during a police search for an unrelated case. It could fill 500 cigarette tubes with tobacco every hour. A 40-year-old man is suspected of using it to process untaxed tobacco for commercial sale.
The suspect allegedly packaged the finished cigarettes in boxes under a fake brand name. Authorities kept the seizure quiet until September 2025 for tactical reasons.
Over the past five years, Germany has cracked down on homemade cigarette machines. Tighter customs controls and legal changes, such as the 2022 and 2024 Tobacco Tax Act reforms, have cut their spread. Seizures rose from around 5,000 machines in 2021 to over 12,000 in 2025. At the same time, the black market share of cigarettes fell from 15% to under 10%, according to reports from the Customs Investigation Bureau.
The case highlights ongoing efforts to combat illegal tobacco production. Stricter laws and increased enforcement have led to fewer homemade cigarette machines in circulation. Officials continue to monitor and disrupt such operations across the country.
