Customs patrol confiscates approximately 400 hidden cigars during a smuggling operation, labeled as "HZA-LÖ".
In an unusual turn of events, customs authorities at the Hauptzollamt Lörrach in Germany suspected a 29-year-old woman resident of Switzerland of tax evasion during a routine check on an ICE train between Basel and Freiburg on August 21.
The incident began when a suitcase and an unclaimed shopping bag were discovered on the train. Upon opening the suitcase and looking into the bag, the officers found several neutrally packaged packets containing cigars. The total sales value of the seized cigars was over 10,300 euros, with around 400 cigars of various Cuban brands recovered.
Initially, the woman claimed the cigars were gifts for a friend in Freiburg. However, further investigation revealed that she had falsely declared the cigars during the customs control. This led to the initiation of a criminal proceeding against the traveler.
Upon arrival at the main station in Freiburg, the woman was asked to leave the train with the customs officers. Inside her backpack, the woman had receipts from Swiss traders for some of the cigars found in the packets, which she eventually admitted belonged to her. The woman also admitted that she had planned to ship the packets to different recipients in Germany.
The collected import duties amounted to over 5,300 euros. The traveler was allowed to continue her journey with lighter luggage, but the outcome of the proceedings is pending for the woman.
For further questions, please contact the Main Customs Office Lörrach's Press spokesperson, Antje Bendel, at 07621 941-1200, via email at [email protected], or visit their website at www.zoll.de.
