An inspection of shops in Bornem and Puurs-Sint-Amands (Antwerp Province) led to the discovery at one store of large quantities of snus, an illegal substance in Belgium. Pouches containing powdered tobacco leaves are placed under the lip to allow nicotine to be absorbed through the oral membrane. In one shop in Puurs-Sint-Amands, police and customs found 143 boxes of snus in the form of nicotine bags you can stick under your lip. The sale of snus is banned in Belgium. Customs will destroy all the pots.
It was last Saturday that local police performed checks at newsagents and other stores. The operation was staged in cooperation with the national social security office and Belgian customs.
The illegal snus was found in a shop in Puurs-Sint-Amands. The small bags of tobacco leaves allow you to ingest nicotine without smoking. It’s a practice that can be particularly addictive. Snus tobacco is popular in Scandinavia, but its sale is banned in all EU states bar Denmark, where it can be accessed for personal use, and Sweden.
A total of five shops in Bornem and Puurs-Sint-Amands were checked.
During the inspections officials encountered several people doing undeclared work. One undocumented person was also found. He is now under the jurisdiction of the immigration department in Brussels.