Customs officers in Montauban seized 13 kilograms of contraband tobacco and 91 liters of illicit alcohol during a targeted inspection at a restaurant in Beaumont-de-Lomagne, located in the Tarn-et-Garonne department. The operation, which took place on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, was conducted with the support of local gendarmerie units from the Lomagne brigade community.
Authorities initiated the administrative visit following a prior tip regarding illegal commercial activity. Upon searching the establishment’s storage areas, officers discovered boxes and bottles bearing Spanish labels that lacked French tax stamps. All prohibited merchandise was immediately confiscated.
The restaurant’s female operator was placed under customs detention following the raid. The measure permits a temporary deprivation of liberty lasting between 24 and 48 hours while investigators work to establish the origin of the smuggled goods, trace supply channels, and identify the individuals responsible for transporting the items.
The intervention in the center of the Lomagne bastide coincided with the opening day of “Colbert 4,” a nationwide interministerial crackdown deployed across France from October 7 to October 15, 2026. The weeklong initiative is designed to disrupt illicit commercial networks, distribution channels, and storage operations involving untaxed tobacco and alcohol. The large-scale mobilization deployed directorate-general customs officers alongside internal security forces to inspect road networks, freight shipments, and local businesses suspected of operating as resale points.
In addition to potential criminal prosecution before the judicial tribunal—carrying penalties of up to one year of imprisonment—the establishment’s operator faces significant financial and administrative sanctions. Customs legislation provides for tax penalties typically amounting to one or two times the value of the evaded duties and taxes. Investigators noted that if the suspect personally transported the goods from the borders of Spain or the Principality of Andorra, the vehicle utilized in the operation could also be subject to confiscation.
The regional customs directorate in Toulouse declined to comment on the specific proceedings in Tarn-et-Garonne. Comprehensive nationwide results and operational summaries for the Colbert 4 initiative are scheduled for release by oversight ministries, including Economy, Finance, Budget, and Public Accounts.
