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-Lurid Crime Tales-
Sweden Seeks 2 Britons for Smuggling Garlic
2013-01-11
[An Nahar] Swedish prosecutors have issued international arrest warrants for two Britons suspected of criminal masterminding a smuggling ring involving Chinese garlic.

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, prosecutor Thomas Ahlstrand said Wednesday. They then drove large shipments of garlic across the Norwegian-Swedish border, avoiding customs checks and thus Swedish import duties.

Ahlstrand said the men avoided paying some €10 million ($13.1 million) in Swedish taxes with the scheme, which took place in 2009 and 2010. A lengthy police investigation led to the identification of the two Britons.

Ahlstrand initially said they smuggled in 1.2 tons of garlic, but later said the exact amount was unclear.

It was not the first time smugglers have shown a preference for garlic from China, which accounts for nearly 80 percent of world output and is often significantly cheaper than local varieties.

In 2010, Polish authorities seized six containers with 144 tons of Chinese garlic that had been smuggled into the country via the Netherlands.

It was not immediately clear whether the Polish smuggling was linked to the Swedish case.
Posted by:Fred

#10  The Vampir walk in Sweden???
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2013-01-11 22:37  

#9  Chinese garlic makes you hungry again in 30 minutes, those nafarious bastids!
Posted by: swksvolFF   2013-01-11 18:05  

#8  Shouldn't be too hard to nose them out.
Posted by: JohnQC   2013-01-11 13:02  

#7  Is there some difference between, yhe China Garlic And the Sweedish Brand?

I don't see it, Possibly the taste's different?

Bet a Gourmet would know.
Posted by: Redneck Jim   2013-01-11 12:55  

#6  Keeping Sweden safe from vampires?
Posted by: Frozen Al   2013-01-11 12:02  

#5  I blame high capacity shipping containers.
Posted by: Besoeker   2013-01-11 11:28  

#4  "Garlic smugglers, Ma!"
"Oh, hold me, Ben!"
Posted by: Muggsy Mussolini1226   2013-01-11 11:18  

#3  That was the initial amount; they don't know how much was actually smuggled in.

Methinks the €10 million ($13.1 million) was pulled from... thin air.
Posted by: Pappy   2013-01-11 11:02  

#2   1.2 Tons of garlic would be taxed $13.1 Million?

??????
Posted by: bigjim-CA   2013-01-11 09:10  

#1  Fred is on a roll today! :-)
Posted by: gorb   2013-01-11 01:02  

00:00