The customs officers working at Vienna-Schwechat Airport made an unusual attack because 7,6 tons of shisha tobacco were confiscated. In addition, it was counterfeit.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Finance, the consignments were destined for Ukraine, but there is supposed to be a complex network behind them. A German company ordered a total of 350 cartons of shisha tobacco from Dubai to Minsk in January. These were transported by plane to the capital of Belarus as part of a freight shipment. From there it went by truck via Poland and Germany to Vienna.

In Austria, the goods should be brought to Ukraine by air freight. But it wasn't the hookah tobacco that was brought from Dubai. The BMF's investigations have shown that this was exchanged for the counterfeit in Germany. The smugglers proceeded professionally because they used the real cardboard boxes. A random check made the customs officers suspicious and therefore they looked more closely. Hit: Counterfeit goods that were supposed to be smuggled.

Customs is now particularly precise with regard to large quantities of shisha tobacco, because counterfeit goods were also found in December of the previous year. At that time, five tons were supposed to be exported from Vienna to Ukraine.

The Ministry of Finance also announced that financial criminal proceedings had been initiated against the masterminds. The amount of the evaded taxes or duties is estimated at around 340.000 euros. For tactical reasons of investigation, the pickup has only now been made public. Finance Minister Gernot Blümel (ÖVP): “The risks associated with the consumption of illegally imported and counterfeit tobacco products should not be underestimated: starting with questionable production locations and methods to unknown ingredients and additives. Investigations in the field of cigarette and tobacco smuggling on a national and international level are therefore a focus of the nationwide customs investigation teams. Last but not least, customs protect honest businesspeople in Austria and the EU with the daily fight against smuggled goods. "