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Customs Seize Hidden .22 Rifle at A3 Rest-Area Check

The case underscores Germany’s strict permit requirements for firearms brought in from abroad.

Overview

  • Customs officers conducting a traffic check at the Haidt-Nord rest area on the A3 found a rifle hidden in a cardboard box under towels in a car trunk.
  • The car had come from Slovakia, and the driver said he was headed to Bergtheim after first denying he carried drugs, weapons, or high-tax goods.
  • Officials seized the functioning multi-shot .22 and opened a criminal case for suspected unlawful import, with the Munich customs investigation office now leading the probe.
  • The storage method broke safety rules that require firearms to travel in a locked container and kept separate from ammunition.
  • German law requires a prior import permit under Section 29 of the Weapons Act for anyone bringing a gun into the country, including licensed owners from other EU states.