Overview

• Plant‑health inspectors at Frankfurt Airport detected about 65,000 seed shipments from China without required phytosanitary documents by early June, and the parcels were returned.
• Many packages were falsely declared as items such as earrings or greeting cards, with the concentration linked to the DHL mail hub that routes China-origin post across Germany.
• The Julius Kühn‑Institut warns the unknown seeds could carry invasive species, diseases or pests that threaten nature, urban green spaces and agriculture.
• Authorities advise recipients not to sow unsolicited seeds and to discard them in household waste rather than compost or bio‑bins to prevent germination and spread.
• Investigations continue into the motive, with experts citing possible brushing scams or tests of EU entry points, as similar cases are reported in other member states and exporters are urged to follow customs and plant‑health rules.