Habanos uses national orchestra´s name as cover for illicit revenue generation
An invoice obtained by Cigarrvärlden shows that the Swedish importer of Cuban cigars is taking the provisions of the Tobacco Act lightly and has sold to private individuals without the license to do so. And without being aware of it themselves, the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra (Göteborgs Symfoniker AB) found themselves listed as the buyer, at least on paper. This has reportedly been going on for many years.
- That is not how things should be done, says Åsa Bernlo, vice president of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra.
Published: 2026-09-06, 14:24 Journalist: Jakob Bergman. Jakob also writes for Bulletin and is its publisher. He has previously written for nyheter idag and was its publisher as well. PHOTO: Montage, original photo of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra: Ola Kjelbye.
Twenty Cohiba Majestuosos at almost twelve hundred Swedish kronor each, reads the invoice from 2022. Nothing strange about that, one might think, but it is in fact a very pecular invoice. It was issued by Habanos Nordic (currently Elite Trading Scandinavia), but the recipient is far more striking: Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra. However, even that turns out not to be entirely true—if you read the specified corporate identification number, it isn't even a corporate number. Instead, it is a personal identity number belonging to a person connected to the orchestra.
- No invoice has been received by the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra from Habanos Nordic. It is an individual who unfortunately made a private purchase using an email address they used within the scope of an assignment for Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, says Åsa Bernlo, vice president of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra.
Image 1: Invoice for 20 Cohiba Majestuosos at nearly 1 200 SEK each (approx 120 USD). Today, the same cigar sells in Switzerland for 1 450 Swiss francs, which is just over 17 000 SEK (approx 1 700 USD). A pack of 20 cigars sells for 384 000 SEK (approx 38 000 USD), which includes a custom-built humidor made specifically for this cigar.
The Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, which also goes by the name the Swedish National Orchestra, is a limited liability company owned in full by the Västra Götaland Region (loosly translated to the County). It is therefore treated as a public authority, which is why the invoice is to be considered an official public document if the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra was the recipient. That assessment was made by the Administrative Court of Appeal in Gothenburg, but in all honesty, it is difficult to understand who it was actually issued to, as the details do not add up.
"As you can understand, in a company there are many invoices"
Cigarrvärlden has spoken to a source who says there has been an internal cigar club at the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, and that this internal cigar club was allowed to buy directly from Habanos Nordic. He does not know why the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra was stated on the invoice, but says it has been that way for many years, before he himself became a member of the internal cigar club and long before the permit requirement came into effect by law [editor's note: the permit requirement came into force in 2019].
Image 2: Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra's vice president Åsa Bernlo (bottom row, from left) is also vice Chair of Sveriges Radio, Sweden's national publicly funded radio broadcaster and serves on the board. Photo: Mattias Ahlm/Sveriges Radio.
And sales to the internal cigar club have continued. Cigarrvärlden also found an order confirmation from 2023 where the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra is listed as the recipient—175 cigars this time, albeit of a cheaper brand. The customer identification number, 1361, is the same as on the previous invoice.
How the cigars were delivered remains unclear. Both the invoice and the order confirmation state that delivery was to be made via Royal Post to the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra.
- We have not handled this, so I don't know how it was done, says Åsa Bernlo.
Image 3: Does two wrongs make one right? Order confirmation from Habanos Nordic.
Perhaps the information regarding the delivery address and method was incorrectly stated on the invoice. And there is reason for Habanos Nordic to obfuscate.
Habanos Nordic / Elite Trading Scandinavia is a wholesaler, which means they are only permitted to sell cigars to retailers holding a tobacco permit. They have never held a retail permit, which is required to sell to private individuals or, for that matter, to the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, which holds no tobacco permit. Their core business is music, not tobacco.
Whether the cigars were sold to Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra or to a private individual, it amounts to unauthorized tobacco sales. The formal charge is illicit handling of tobacco, a crime punishable by up to six years in prison when committed as part of a commercial venture. Stephan Praetorius, long-time CEO of Habanos Nordic / Elite Trading Scandinavia, refuses to acknowledge that any cigars were sold to private individuals within the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra.
- I cannot imagine that. We have never sold to private individuals, says Praetorius.
When we explain that we have the invoice in front of us, his memory fades.
- I cannot comment on that. As you can understand, in a company there are many invoices, Praetorius replies.
Since Elite Trading Scandinavia is currently undergoing liquidation, Cigarrvärlden reached out to the liquidator seeking to learn what lies hidden in the books behind customer number 1361, but was denied access.
- Simply put, given the company's situation, I cannot see how we stand to gain anything by commenting on this, says Elite Trading Scandinavia's liquidator.
Footnote: Cigarrvärlden has unsuccessfully sought Fernando Dominguez, Anders Worsøe, and Elite Trading Scandinavia's auditor for comment. Interpath's liquidators, who now control Simply Advanced Ltd in the British Virgin Islands following a court ruling, wrote in an email to Cigarrvärlden that they are currently unable to comment.
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Read more about Cigarrvärldens coverage on Cuba & Habanos:
12 September 2025 - Cuban Cigars And Their Asian Partners – Slave Trade, Fraud And Money Laundering. Under The Nose Of The Regulatory Agency In Gothenburg, Sweden.
25 October 2025 - DOJ Tightens Noose On Owner Behind Cuban Cigar Giant
26 October 2025 - Prince Groups latest rebuttal published in full
4 November 2025 - Swedish Habanos Importer gets Reprieve to present Chen Zhi's Cambodian tax and criminal records
9 November 2025 - Klarna blacklists Cuba and freezes payments to Swedish cigar dealers?
12 December 2025 - Chen Zhi to be removed from Habanos
7 January 2026 - Breaking News: Habanos Swedens tobacco license revoked
12 January 2026 - Analysis: What are the future prospects for Chen Zhi, Habanos in Sweden & globally?
2 June 2026: The International Crackdown on Habanos: Swedish Distributor Faces Independent Turmoil
5 June 2026 - Cuban Cigars Facing Potential EU Ban Amid Forced Labor Reports
15 June 2026 - BREAKING NEWS: The Courts Verdict - no Swedish tobacco license for HABANOS
4 August 2026 - BREAKING NEWS: EU Sanctions Against Chen Zhi and Prince Group
6 August 2026 - The Consequences of EU Sanctions Against Chen Zhi for Sweden in Particular and the EU in General
12 August 2026 - Habanos' Proximity to Sanctioned Entities and the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR)
13 August 2026 - BREAKING NEWS: Habanos Sweden Formally Applies for Liquidation
20 August 2026 - Analysis Brief: Potential Sanctions for European Companies within the Habanos network
We use AI and Google Translate for translations, with some review to enhance readability. Pardon the Spanglish.
Disclaimer: Cigarrvärlden is owned and operated by Cigarrklubben CK Sverige AB, which also operates a cigar club and has a foot in both camps. To put it mildly. Divison and separation of operations and the editorial is explained under the section "Conflicts of Interest (in Swedish)". Cigarrvärlden operates under a ‘certificate of no legal impediment to publication conferring constitutional protection’ (utgivningsbevis). With this certificate, Cigarrvärlden enjoys a special legal status in Swedish law under the freedom of expression act. Cigarrklubben CK Sverige AB does not sell and have ever sold cigars or tobacco in any way, shape or form.
