Romanian investigators uncovered a cigarette smuggling network that allegedly hid contraband inside international passenger trains and moved it off the trains during stops. Police said the alleged scheme started in 2025. The cigarettes were concealed in hidden spaces within train carriages and, during scheduled station stops, were allegedly unloaded with help from two railway employees. Authorities allege the contraband was then taken away by the suspects using their own cars to homes or other locations linked to the case. Prosecutors say the cigarettes were later sold through companies or directly to individuals, including fellow employees of the rail company involved. On Friday, three people were reportedly caught in flagrante as they picked up and transported the contraband cigarettes. After the arrests, officers from the Transport Police unit in Bucharest carried out 41 home searches in Bucharest and across Ilfov, Dambovita, Giurgiu, Prahova and Teleorman. Investigators also searched a railway wagon repair unit in the capital. Police said they found and seized 169,820 cigarettes, 117,703 lei, 9,905 euro, 200 British pounds and 350 US dollars. Authorities also confiscated four mobile phones, two laptops and an airsoft pistol. Six people are under investigation. Four suspects were placed under house arrest for 30 days, and two others were put under judicial control for 60 days. The investigation is continuing under the oversight of the prosecutor’s office at the Sector 1 Court in Bucharest. The case is still being investigated.