Customs discover rings in teddy bear stuffing
Customs officials have discovered two rings in the filling material of a teddy bear in a parcel. As the main customs office in Heilbronn announced on Tuesday, the 48-year-old recipient had declared her sister's parcel from Thailand as a tax-free gift.
However, at the end of October, the officials also found a certificate with the rings that attributed a four-digit value to one of the rings. An expert is now to determine the exact value of both pieces of jewelry. In addition to non-objectionable items such as coffee and toys, the package also contained medication, according to customs. The regional council, as the responsible authority, must now clarify whether these are permitted in Germany. The 48-year-old must expect to pay several hundred euros in import duties and possible further legal action.
The discovery of the valuable rings in the teddy bear's stuffing has raised questions about potential undeclared smuggling of high-value items, adding an element of crime to the curiosity surrounding the incident. The rings' interesting origins and their declared low value in the customs form, coupled with the high value indicated in the certificate, are indeed intriguing curiosities.
Source: www.dpa.com
