The Center for Combating Corruption and Economic Crime (CCCEC) during the first half of this year confiscated contraband to the value of 10 million lei and levied fines of 157,000 lei. The contraband goods seized in the same period last year totaled almost 2 million lei, while the fines - 33,500 lei, Info-Prim Neo reports, quoting a report by the Center. The taking of goods into or out of the country without certificates or origin and the non-payment of taxes were the most frequent offences. For example, goods worth 400,000 lei transported from Cernauti were confiscated from a company. 24 tonnes of cigarettes to the value of 1.1 million lei without documents were also seized. There were discovered many cases of smuggling kernel. The Center confiscated 13 tonnes of kernel worth 700,000 lei from a firm. The confiscated goods are kept in storehouses until the Tax Inspectorate announces auctions. If the goods do not meet the quality standards, they are destroyed. Over the first six months of this year, the CCCEC identified 25 phantom firms that caused damage of over 1 billion lei to the budget. The Prosecutor General’s Office has opened legal cases against three customs employees over involvement in a scam to smuggle goods worth over 50 million lei abroad.