▷ ZOLL-E: Customs investigation Essen successful against illegal Shisha production – via a …

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Essen / Gelsenkirchen / Cologne / Krefeld / Marl / Neuss (ots)

Customs investigation Essen successful against illegal Shisha production

   - über eine Tonne Wasserpfeifentabak sichergestellt
   - Zollhund Django erschnüffelt geheimes Lager 

Essen / Gelsenkirchen / Cologne / Krefeld / Marl / Neuss On February 24, 2021, officials from the Essen customs investigation office searched four objects in Essen, Gelsenkirchen, Marl and Neuss and seized around 510 kg of counterfeit untaxed water pipe tobacco as well as primary materials, packaging and filling equipment. Since the beginning of 2020, the Essen Customs Investigation Office has been investigating two Syrian suspects on behalf of the main customs office in Krefeld on suspicion of tax evasion and tax stealing through the manufacture and sale of untaxed and counterfeit water pipe tobacco. As early as January 2020, during an exit control to Austria by the Raubling border police, 570 kg of untaxed and counterfeit hookah tobacco were seized from the 32- and 57-year-olds traveling together and criminal proceedings for tax evasion were initiated. The further investigations were carried out by the Essen customs investigation office – Cologne office, as there was suspicion of an illegal shisha tobacco production facility. During the searches the day before yesterday, around 300 kg of untaxed water pipe tobacco in counterfeit branded packaging as well as manufacturing and filling equipment were seized from the 57-year-old accused from Essen. The suspect’s attempt to disguise his supply with various raw materials and fake packaging failed because of the good nose of tobacco tracking dog Django, who quickly and purposefully tracked down the secret warehouse in the cellar. The 32-year-old accused was found in Gelsenkirchen instead of in Neuss and there, hidden in the loft of the apartment, another 10 kg of untaxed and counterfeit water pipe tobacco was seized. On the basis of a found car key, a parked car was found in the immediate vicinity of the Essen property, in which another 200 kg of shisha tobacco and evidence were seized. A 29-year-old Sy-rer from Marl was identified as the owner. The subsequent apartment search yielded no further evidence. The estimated total tax damage of the untaxed water pipe tobacco seized in total is around 38,000 euros. The investigations on behalf of the main customs office in Krefeld are ongoing. “One kilogram of branded tobacco legally costs around 59 euros,” said Heike Sennewald, press spokeswoman for the Essen customs investigation office, “the production costs of illegal water pipe tobacco are a little under 5 euros per kilogram.”

Please contact:

Customs investigation office in Essen
Press officer
Heike Sennewald
Telephone: 0201 27963 130
Car: 0172 266 1381
Fax: 0201 27963 194
Email: [email protected]
www.zoll.de

Original content by: Zollfahndungsamt Essen, transmitted by news aktuell

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