
France: Three convicted over US yacht import customs fraud
European Public Prosecutor's Office
(Luxembourg, 9 March 2026) – The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Paris (France) has secured the conviction of two individuals and one company in a case involving the fraudulent import of a yacht from the US. The case involved the deliberate undervaluation of the customs value of a high-speed Cigarette boat. Imported by a French company based near Bordeaux in July 2019, the vessel’s true value – USD 745,784 (approximately €686 000) – was concealed through false information and inaccurate documents. This misdeclaration caused an estimated loss to the EU budget of over €100 000.


