Customs controls in Saxony-Anhalt: 4,500 euros in tax damage uncovered!

Customs controls in Saxony-Anhalt: 4,500 euros in tax damage uncovered!

What happened in Saxony-Anhalt last week? The traffic route control unit (KEV) of the Magdeburg main customs office carried out checks in grocery stores and snack bars on two days and achieved impressive results. Loud Magdeburg News On June 4th and 5th, 2025, numerous black market products were uncovered in cities such as Bernburg and Halle (Saale).

A total of 7,260 untaxed cigarettes, 202 vapes and 4,149 ml of tobacco substitutes had to be confiscated as part of these checks. 31 cans of oral tobacco, the sale of which is not permitted in Germany, also found their way into customs channels. Creative hiding places were used - including a gas stove and a microwave! The tax damage uncovered by the controls totaled 4,569.62 euros, and several criminal proceedings were initiated for tax fraud.

Background of the current situation

The problem surrounding e-cigarettes is not new. Since July 1, 2022, liquids containing nicotine have been taxable within the meaning of the Tobacco Tax Act. This means that online providers often try to avoid the tax. daily news reports that retailers offer products without a tax surcharge, which represents a significant savings for many consumers when using illegal products. The estimate of the tax damage in Germany due to untaxed products amounts to around 600,000 euros.

In January 2023, the Krefeld customs office carried out similar checks and uncovered a serious case in which a wholesale company in Moers had imported no fewer than 177,959 disposable electronic cigarettes without the required German warnings and tax stamps. Some of the goods were intended for the British market, which raised additional legal questions. In this case, a tax loss of around 60,000 euros was determined Zoll.de reported.

Some perspectives

The introduction of a tobacco tax of 16 cents per milliliter on e-cigarette liquids will impact the estimated 2.5 million users in Germany. These users not only face price increases, but also have to consider the legal consequences if they are found to be consuming tax-free products. The customs police union has also criticized the fact that the customs authorities are underfunded and not sufficiently equipped to take effective action against these practices.

With the prospect of the tobacco tax rising to 32 cents per milliliter by 2026, experts fear that the black market for e-cigarettes and other tobacco-like products could expand further. The developments surrounding e-cigarettes and their legal classification remain a hot topic.