Customs Authorities from Furth in the Forest confiscate nearly 100,000 smuggled cigarettes and 66 kilograms of un-taxed water pipe tobacco, concluding a bust after an initial investigation.
In April, the Main Customs Office Regensburg was busy intercepting a variety of illegal goods, with a particular focus on untaxed cigarettes and tobacco.
In one instance, customs officers discovered 95,460 untaxed cigarettes on the A3 at Straubing-Bogen, primarily from Bulgaria. The driver of the vehicle was allowed to continue his journey after paying a security. A criminal proceeding was initiated against the bus driver for suspected tax evasion, with a tax damage set at 3,806.08 euros. However, no information was provided about the outcome of the criminal proceeding.
Another case involved a 44-year-old woman from Romania, who was found with 800 cigarettes and seven additional suitcases of smuggled goods during a search of her luggage on a tourist bus. The evaded tobacco tax for her smuggled cigarettes amounted to 14,417.89 euros. The Regional Court of Regensburg sentenced her to eight months' imprisonment on probation for tax evasion and ordered her to bear the costs of the proceedings.
In a different incident, a Bulgarian driver was found with 5,800 cigarettes hidden in various parts of his car. Customs officers also seized 8,000 and 6,900 cigarettes in two other cases.
The tobacco found in the cargo hold of the bus did not have tax marks and was sealed with duct tape. In addition to tobacco, eight switchblades, three stun guns, CS gas sprays, and small amounts of narcotics were also seized.
Two weeks later, the same tourist bus was checked again, and customs officers discovered 66 kilograms of untaxed shisha tobacco in five pieces of luggage. Customs officers find smuggled goods in technically sophisticated hiding places, such as behind instrument panels, in cavities, or prepared vehicle parts. However, hiding places in suitcases or under the seat are no longer sufficient to remain undetected, according to Thomas Schell, head of the control unit for traffic routes Furth im Wald.
The Main Customs Office Regensburg was not only active in tobacco seizures but also recorded a total of 47 criminal proceedings in April, involving not just tobacco tax law violations, but also weapons possession and drug offenses.
For press inquiries, you can contact Nadine Striegel at the Main Customs Office Regensburg at telephone: 0941 2086-1503, email: [email protected], and website: www.zoll.de. The information provided is original content from the Main Customs Office Regensburg, transmitted via news aktuell.
