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Customs Crackdown Yields 3.3 Tonnes of Illicit Vapes and 50,000 Contraband Cigarettes

Authorities opened tax criminal probes into the haul that exploits the €0.26-per-milliliter vaping levy introduced in 2022

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Der Fund von mehreren Tonnen geschmuggelter Vapes in Nordrhein-Westfalen hat zur Aufdeckung eines illegalen Handels geführt. Mehr als drei Tonnen E-Zigaretten wurden beschlagnahmt, wie das Zollfahndungsamt Essen mitteilte.

Overview

  • During a July 24 truck inspection in Emmerich, customs officers intercepted 3.3 tonnes of untaxed e-cigarettes arriving from the Netherlands
  • A joint raid by Zollfahndungsamt Essen and Finanzkontrolle Schwarzarbeit uncovered more than 190 liters of e-liquid hidden in a converted toilet at a Wuppertal warehouse
  • Hauptzollamt Landshut agents discovered over 50,500 smuggled cigarettes concealed behind a false wall in a transporter on the A3 motorway in Bavaria
  • Tax criminal proceedings have been launched against the 35-year-old Emmerich driver, the recipient company owner in Wuppertal, and the driver of the Bavarian transporter
  • Officials estimate the combined tax loss exceeds €245,000 for the e-cigarettes and €9,500 for the cigarettes, reflecting the ongoing challenge of cross-border tobacco enforcement