By Timothy S. Donahue

Top Takeaways:

• Border bust: Spanish police seized 997 cigars from a bus passenger traveling from Murcia to Paris.
• Big names: The cigars carried Cohiba, Montecristo and Partagás branding and were estimated at €226,714 on the illicit market.
• Real or fake?: Authorities are checking the cigars because they were loose in bags without boxes or seals guaranteeing their origin.

No one will smoke these cigars anytime soon.

Spanish National Police arrested a 60-year-old Spanish citizen of Cuban origin after finding 997 cigars bearing the names of some of Cuba’s best-known brands in his luggage at the La Jonquera border crossing into France.

The seizure occurred on Sept. 23 during a routine immigration check of a bus traveling from Murcia, Spain, to Paris, according to La Vanguardia. Police found the cigars divided into 40 bundles and packed loosely inside transparent plastic bags in the man’s suitcase.

The cigars bore Habanos designations from brands including Cohiba, Montecristo, and Partagás. Authorities estimated the merchandise would be worth €226,714 (US$255,610) on the illicit market if genuine.

But genuine remains a fairly big if.

The suspect packaging and the absence of boxes or seals guaranteeing the cigars’ origin prompted police to request expert examinations from the respective brands to determine whether the seized products were authentic. Results were still pending when the seizure was announced.

That distinction matters considerably given both the brands involved and the seizure’s estimated value. The man was arrested on suspicion of smuggling and brought before a judge. He was subsequently released after giving a statement, with the investigation continuing.

For now, Spanish authorities know they stopped 997 illicit cigars headed for France. Whether they found more than €226,000 in Habanos — or a suitcase full of fakes — remains to be determined.