Italian Police Uncover Billion-Euro Illegal Cigarette Factory in Underground Bunker

Italian customs police have dismantled the largest illegal cigarette factory ever found in the country, seizing over 150 tonnes of counterfeit products, according to a statement released on Saturday.

The sprawling 1,600-square-metre underground facility, hidden near Cassino southeast of Rome, produced an estimated seven million cigarettes daily — roughly 2.7 billion annually. Access to the bunker was concealed by a hydraulic mechanism, controlled by switches hidden in a cardboard box inside an almost empty warehouse.

Investigators described the site as a “genuine industrial factory” outfitted with state-of-the-art machinery, including three production lines for tobacco processing and counterfeit cigarette packaging. It also had a ventilation system to mask emissions and residential facilities with 18 beds, showers, bathrooms, a dining hall, and a repair workshop.

Authorities estimate the operation generated annual revenues of more than €900 million ($1.05 billion) while evading taxes worth about €600 million.

So far, several suspects have been identified in connection with the illicit enterprise, with one person already in custody as investigations continue.