Customs discovered over 3,500 cigarettes in the false bottom of a suitcase!

Customs discovered over 3,500 cigarettes in the false bottom of a suitcase!

What an exciting week for customs! On Wednesday, August 20, 2025, a traveler from Antalya was stopped at Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden Airport with over 3,500 cigarettes. These were cleverly hidden in the “false bottom” of a suitcase and secured with fabric tape. Such a hidden hiding place suggests commercial intentions, which also led the customs officials to initiate criminal tax proceedings on suspicion of attempted tax evasion City report reported.

The traveler ultimately had to pay the import taxes of around 1,400 euros as well as a security deposit of the same amount before he was allowed to continue his journey. This is not only a financial burden, but also raises the question of how often such schemes could continue to work.

Tax evasion in cigarette smuggling

The challenge of cigarette smuggling is not only a focus in Karlsruhe. It is a widespread problem that ultimately costs the German state a lot of money. Tax evasion through omission, which also occurs when importing duty-unpaid goods from third countries, is punishable. A BGH decision from 2007 made it clear that the general rules for tax returns also apply to the transport of cigarettes Ferner-Alsdorf explained in detail.

The statistics are alarming:

• Bei einem anderen Vorfall im Juli 2025 in Frankfurt am Main stellte man bei einem afghanischen Staatsangehörigen 87.500 Zigaretten sicher.
• Der Steuerschaden aus diesem Vorfall betrug über 2.300 Euro.

Such smuggling not only results in high fines, but also possible prison sentences. The 32-year-old from Frankfurt was not the first to encounter difficulties in this regard. When entering from third countries, everyone is only allowed to bring 200 cigarettes with them without import taxes. Anything beyond that requires registration with customs, which many people ignore and end up in legal trouble.

The catches of customs

The customs authorities in Germany are well positioned to detect and prosecute such cases. Loud Zoll.de Tracking down cigarette smugglers is one of their core tasks. Such violations are repeatedly uncovered by trained officials, and the procedures initiated show that the fight against tax evasion is a serious matter.

Overall, it remains to be hoped that the unique successes of the customs authorities will not remain just isolated cases and that the campaign against the illegal tobacco business will continue to gain momentum. The boundaries should be made clear to the smugglers - because that's when the mill overflows!