Berlin Customs cracked down on vaping smuggling, detained 8 suspects, seized 400,000 illegal vapes, and lost 500,000 euros in tax revenue.
On November 26, the Berlin-Brandenburg Customs Investigation Office announced that the agency, together with about 500 law enforcement officers from the Berlin Police Department, searched 35 addresses and multiple vehicles in the city, aiming to crack down on the sale of disposable vapes to teenagers.
Police seized 400,000 untaxed vapes, 600kg of shisha, and more than 200,000 euros in cash. It is understood that the tax loss amounted to at least 500,000 euros.
The investigation points to a gang of eight suspects, aged about 24 to 41. Since January 2024, the gang has mainly sold smuggled vapes to teenagers through online advertisements.
It is reported that these disposable electronic cigarettes were brought into Germany by an unknown third party without customs clearance and taxes. The suspects knew this, but they still sold these untaxed goods.
The investigation and evaluation of the seized evidence is ongoing.
Since July 1, 2022, disposable vapes as a substitute for cigarettes have been included in the scope of tobacco tax collection. The amount of liquid in disposable vapes is important in tax regulations. From 1 January 2024 onwards, the duty rate for cigarettes is 0.20 euro per milliliter per day. According to the Youth Protection Act, disposable vapes containing tar and non-nicotine cannot be provided to children and teenagers, and violators can be fined up to 50,000 euros.
