Customs investigation strikes: 80,000 cigarettes secured when checked!

Customs investigation strikes: 80,000 cigarettes secured when checked!

Walldorf, Deutschland - Surprising discovery during a traffic control on the A6 near Walldorf: The police stopped a 31-year-old driver here on June 14, 2025, securing 80,000 unmounted cigarettes and 3,700 e-cigarettes. The man who visibly appeared nervous during the control stated that she wanted to help with a move. But the cardboard boxes that he transported contained anything but moving boxes. Instead, they were crammed with tobacco products, which the officials called on the plan, which are now determined against him for violations of tax law and customs regulations. swr reports that ...

Customs have uncovered similar cases in the past. On January 19, 2024, Zöllner from the main customs office Itzehoe stopped a traveler at Hamburg Airport, in which 31,600 cigarettes were secured. The attempted tax damage caused by this would be 5,582 euros. The traveler was initially looking for his lost luggage, but then wanted to bypass the customs officials and waited for the baggage risk so as not to attract attention. Ultimately, however, he was approached in the green channel, which revealed the customs offense. In this case too, a tax criminal proceedings for attempted tax evasion

tax law consequences

Both cases throw a light on the strict regulations related to tobacco tax in Germany. According to Section 370 Tax Code, it is punishable who deliberately spent the obligation to submit a tax return about the tax area or violated tobacco products and thereby shorten taxes. In the case of such offenses, the prison sentence is not insignificant, because it can be up to five years. A law firm explains that ...

experts make it clear that the tax debt and the criminal consequences can be interpreted differently. While the ECJ and the BFH of every person who has non -controlled tobacco products attribute a tax law responsibility, the BGH assumes a different regulation: only those who obtain possession before the end of the river process is tax debtor. These differences in the case law show that it can also be risky for potential perpetrators even if cigarettes are supposedly harmless.
In view of the latest incidents, it is clearer than ever that the cigarette smuggling is a serious problem in Germany. Constant controls and the consistent persecution of such offenses are therefore essential to protect the integrity of the tax system.