Customs Agency: Firearms, Marijuana, and Tax Evasion - End to Multi-Day Vehicle Checks on Motorway 17
On June 19 and 20, 2025, the Main Customs Office in Dresden conducted a multi-day control measure on the parking lot "Am Heidenholz" on the A17 highway. Over 100 vehicles and nearly 300 persons were checked during this operation.
The control measure began on a significant note when customs officers inspected a Czech passenger car on June 18, 2025. Upon inspection, several packages filled with cannabis products were discovered, leading to a criminal proceeding against the driver.
On the same day, a 27-year-old man from the Czech Republic was initiated into a criminal proceeding for carrying several joints of cannabis in his luggage.
The following day, June 19, 2025, a Slovakian transporter was also inspected, and a total of 20 kilograms of cannabis was found. A criminal proceeding was initiated against the driver, and nearly 600 packages of cannabis products were secured.
In a separate incident, customs officers checked a Serbian passenger car and discovered several toolboxes and devices bearing various company logos, leading to the suspicion of stolen goods.
The search results do not specify which companies are the carriers of the shipments involved in these events. The available information only mentions that over 300,000 smuggled cigarettes were seized by customs near the German-Polish border, with investigations led by Polish customs.
During this control measure, a total of 24 criminal proceedings were initiated, and 17 cases were transferred to other authorities. The pepper spray device without test marks, found in a vehicle on June 20, 2025, led to the initiation of a criminal proceeding against a 49-year-old Czech citizen for violating weapons law.
A tax evasion proceeding was initiated against the driver of a black Audi A6 with a Kosovar license plate for suspected evasion of import duties totaling approximately €4,500.
For further inquiries, contact Main Customs Office Dresden at Philipp Mitteldorf (0351/4644-1041, [email protected], www.zoll.de).
