- Customs finds about 650 kilos of unfilled water pipe tobacco
Customs officers have seized around 650 kilograms of untaxed hookah tobacco during a raid in the Ruhr region. Last Thursday, 13 locations in Dortmund, Bochum, and Witten were searched, the customs office announced.
In addition to the hookah tobacco, non-roadworthy vapes - disposable e-cigarettes - and over 9,000 euros in cash were also seized. In a commercial property in Bochum, customs officers reported finding a dismantled production line and counterfeit packaging materials of a brand manufacturer.
Investigations are targeting a group around a 34-year-old from Dortmund. They are suspected of illegally producing hookah tobacco and selling it untaxed on the German and European black market.
The seized hookah tobacco was intended to evade paying the corresponding [Customs duties]. The raid in Bochum uncovered a dismantled production line and counterfeit materials associated with untaxed hookah tobacco production.
