At Vienna Airport, the customs team made a spectacular seizure of historic proportions during travel traffic and mobile checks. On October 31, 2024, significant quantities of illegal goods were discovered during the check of three passengers from Cairo. The smugglers' suitcases contained 852 cartons of cigarettes, more than 170.000 cigarettes, around 50 kilograms of shisha tobacco and 6.276 potency pills. The total value of the goods seized and the threatened penalties shed light on the activities of the customs officers and the importance of their work for the security and integrity of Austria as a business location.
The decisive success of the customs team at Vienna Airport was the result of intensive risk analyses and targeted investigations. Finance Minister Gunter Mayr praised the expertise and commitment of the customs officers: "Our customs officers regularly achieve remarkable successes in both the cargo sector and in travel. When the right suitcases are pulled out of millions of suitcases, it shows how professionally we are fighting smuggling here."
The first person to be targeted by customs authorities was a 61-year-old Italian. The man, who was travelling with four suitcases, was checked based on a risk analysis. During the X-ray inspection, the explosive cargo was discovered: the suitcases were full to the brim with cigarettes and shisha tobacco. The discovery led to the targeted examination of the other passengers, including a 30-year-old Frenchman and a 49-year-old fellow traveller. When they noticed the first passenger and the check, they tried to avoid customs control by storing their suitcases. But the experienced customs officers were not fooled and also asked for their suitcases to be checked. The haul was just as significant: cigarettes, shisha tobacco and numerous potency pills.
The consequences for the smugglers
The three smugglers now face massive penalties. In Austria, financial penalties of up to 80.000 euros per person can be imposed for smuggling and tax evasion. This level of punishment is not only intended to serve as a deterrent, but also to protect fair competition in the economy and combat the illegal black market. Customs department head Michael Kalcher emphasized: "This success shows that our risk analyses work, and I congratulate my colleagues on this arrest. Customs is thus making a significant contribution to the legal and fair functioning of our business location."
Technology, people and experience: success factors of controls
The experts at Vienna Airport rely on a combination of advanced technology, extensive experience and targeted operations. Customs is now well equipped to expose smugglers and prevent illegal transport. This includes the use of modern X-ray machines, sniffer dogs and trained specialists. Roland Karner, who has been the customs team leader since 1991, explained: "We have never encountered such quantities in travel traffic. Over the years we have refined our interaction between people, technology and sniffer dogs. In this way we prevent smuggling efficiently and protect companies that operate correctly from illegal black market trading."
The seizure on October 31, 2024 is an impressive example of the success of this strategy. Especially in times of globalized economy and cross-border movements, the work of the customs authorities is essential to prevent illegal trade and keep the market fair.
significance for the economy and society
The smuggling of goods such as cigarettes, tobacco and sexual enhancers is not only a problem for the state budget, but also for the regular companies that properly tax and sell their goods. The black market undermines fair competition and can bring companies that comply with legal regulations to their knees. Therefore, customs are important not only for preserving tax revenues, but also for protecting the economy and supporting legality in trade.
The discovery and seizure of such a large quantity of contraband presents customs with an important challenge: the efficient combating of illegal practices. Through a combination of state-of-the-art technology, training and expertise, the authorities have succeeded in preventing smuggling and sending a clear message to potential offenders.
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