Thousands of smugglers eliminated

by time news

DLast year, the employees of the main customs office in Frankfurt seized more than 26,000 kilograms of drugs worth around 129 million euros in a total of 6,711 seizures in post, freight and travel traffic. Among them were more than 22,000 kilograms of the chewing drug khat – the largest amount ever seized at Frankfurt Airport in one year. In addition, the customs officers found 494 kilograms of cocaine, 450 kilograms of synthetic drugs such as amphetamine and ecstasy, 27 kilograms of heroin and 365 kilograms of hashish and marijuana, according to the annual balance presented on Thursday.

A total of 110 drug couriers were temporarily arrested, according to Markus Tönsgerlemann, head of the main customs office. Among them was a man who was identified as a so-called “swallower”. He had transported around 700 grams of cocaine in his body in 70 containers. The smugglers didn’t just rely on double suitcase bottoms or hiding places in clothing. Drugs were hidden in cosmetic jars, herb pots or children’s toys.

Fakes mostly from China

Last summer, customs officials found three kilograms of liquid cocaine mixed in coconut oil in the luggage of two women. In the fight against brand and product piracy, almost 270,000 fakes with a goods value of around 58 million euros were confiscated last year, most of which came from China. A total of 9594 border seizure procedures were opened, said Tönsgerlemann. The counterfeit products included medicines, mobile phones, clothing and shoes, as well as action cams and tableware.

Cash smuggling, sometimes on a large scale, was also prevented. For example, 8.5 million euros were seized in suitcases that were supposed to go to Lebanon. The investigation revealed that the money was made from drug trafficking. Customs officers also found cash in Kinder Surprise eggs, ham legs and bottles of port. In action against species protection smuggling, a total of 655 seizures of more than 50,000 species-protected animals or plants were made last year – including a Bengal cat, a gray parrot and 300 iguanas.

However, the airport is not the only place where the main customs office in Frankfurt works. As in previous years, combating undeclared work was one of the focal points of the work. According to the information, there were tests at 383 employers. The amount of damage in the context of criminal investigations and fines amounts to around 9.6 million euros. According to the information, the sum of the warning money, fines and confiscation amounts is 271,481 euros.

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