Customs authorities intercept smuggled goods: Untaxed waterpipe tobacco and untaxed e-Vape products totaling nearly 50 kilos are seized by customs officers due to lack of tax documentation
In a recent development, customs officers in Heinsberg district conducted a tax audit at a local shisha bar, following an anonymous tip-off. According to the information provided by the Main Customs Office Aachen, approximately 50 kg of tobacco and e-cigarettes with a total content of approximately 16,000 milliliters of liquid were seized.
The investigation began last week when a small van, which was registered in the owner's name, was observed near the shisha bar. Upon further investigation, the van was found locked, and the owner claimed not to have a key. The Aachen Regional Court issued a search warrant for the shop premises to find the car key.
The court extended the warrant to include a seizure order for the van as the key could not be found during the search. The van was finally opened, revealing a large quantity of e-vapes and shisha tobacco without tax stamps on the loading area.
Criminal proceedings were initiated against the 45-year-old shop owner and his 34-year-old employee for suspected tax evasion and receiving stolen goods in connection with suspected violation of the tobacco tax law. The 34-year-old employee was arrested on suspicion of tax fraud and theft, but is not named in the available search results.
Interestingly, the owner remembered having another key to prevent enforcement. The van had previously been locked by a male employee, according to the customs officers. However, the owner claimed that the vehicle key had gone missing.
Upon inspection of the shop, only taxed tobacco products were found. This suggests that the illegal goods were being stored in the van outside the shop premises.
For further questions, contact the Main Customs Office Aachen. Sabine Krämer can be reached at 0241/9091-2080 or via email at [email protected]. More information can be found on the official customs website at www.zoll.de.
This news was transmitted via news aktuell from the Main Customs Office Aachen. The authorities are urging anyone with information about similar activities to come forward and report it anonymously.
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