Customs investigation office Essen: record record with 5.1 tons of drugs and more!

Customs investigation office Essen: record record with 5.1 tons of drugs and more!

The Zoll investigator Essen recently published an impressive annual balance for 2024 and referred to significant investigation. With a clear focus on combating organized crime and tax offenses, the office has significantly promoted the punishment of illegal activities. Particularly noteworthy are the 163 tons of illegal tobacco and e-cigarette liquids that were secured last year. According to tixio this prevented tax damage of more than 4.3 million euros.

Another remarkable campaign was the destruction of two illegal cigarette factories in Radevormwald and Velbert in October 2024. In these searches, not only extensive production facilities, but also large quantities of raw tobacco and fake cigarettes appeared. A total of 19 arrests were made in connection with these investigations. This shows how seriously the authorities take the fight against the smuggling, especially in a country where tax evasion in the tobacco area is very important.

success in drug crime

Not only in the area of ​​tobacco products there were success. The measures against drug crime have also paid off. A large MDMA laboratory could be uncovered as part of an international operation. 200 kilograms of MDMA and necessary chemicals were confiscated. In addition, there were extensive searches in which a total of 40 objects in Germany and neighboring countries such as Belgium and the Netherlands were examined. Cooperation with international partners such as Europol and Interpol plays a crucial role in this area, as well as

The increase in drug and tobacco tax crime must be considered alarming. According to an analysis, over 6,000 investigations were initiated in 2024, which corresponds to more than a third of the nationwide total. Among the investigation were 19 cases of organized crime, 11 of which were located in the area of ​​tobacco. The investigators show a good hand to put the criminals the craft.

For the coming year, the customs investigation office has set itself the focus of also focusing on combating digital crime. In a world that is increasingly digitized, it is important to prepare yourself against cybercrime. This is in accordance with the national and international efforts to combat organized crime, in which all countries have to work together in the face of topics such as drug trafficking, money laundering and human trafficking. The Foreign Office emphasizes the need for international cooperation and to protect the stability of the international order.

The successes of the customs investigation clearly show how serious the situation is and that despite all the challenges is being worked on to raise the level of security. The loss of organized crime is a struggle that never ends, but the current successes give the reason to hope that the situation can improve.