The EU has called on both Spain and Gibraltar to crack down on tobacco smuggling between the two, saying it is concerned about the involvement of organised crime.
After a one-year probe, the European Anti-Fraud Office indicated in a statement that there had been an increase in cigarette smuggling over the last four years.
The investigation was sparked by a complaint from Spanish authorities to the EU that between 2006 and 2011, Gibraltar nearly tripled the amount of tobacco it brought in. The Spanish government claims that much of this tobacco was then sold illegally in Spain.
Prices for a carton of cigarettes in Gibraltar are around €26, but are more likely to be around €40 or €44 in Spain.
Spain claims 110 million packs were brought into Gibraltar in 2012 which rose to 117 million in 2013. They believe the numbers are excessive for the 30,000 or so inhabitants.
"Every resident of Gibraltar, including children who are nursing, would have to smoke nine packs of cigarettes each day," one government source told El País.
While some suspect that the lengthy queues for border checks are retaliation for Gibraltar creating an artificial reef, Spanish authorities hold that the tightened security were to scour for tobacco smuggling.
In the first five months of 2014, Spanish border police said they have found more than 2,500 offenders travelling from Gibraltar to Spain carrying illegal amounts of tobacco.
