Bypassing Customs Documentation: The Unconventional Import Method of HZA-DO

On August 25, 2025, at around 12:30 PM, officers from the Main Customs Office Dortmund inspected a British-registered vehicle combination on the Allenstein rest area of the A2 motorway. The vehicle being inspected was a classic car transported on a trailer, with an estimated value of one million euros.

However, the driver of the seized classic car, a 46-year-old British citizen, could not present the necessary customs papers for the import or temporary use of the vehicle in the European Union. The driver claimed he was transporting the car from Britain to Denmark for exhibition.

The customs officers demanded a security deposit of 70,000 euros for the expected import duties. However, the payment was not possible, resulting in the seizure of the classic car.

Andrea Münch, press spokesperson for the Main Customs Office Dortmund, confirmed the seizure of the vehicle. She stated, "Customs declarants may only dispose of non-EU goods after they have been declared to a customs procedure and released by the customs office."

The travel allowance for goods carried into the EU from a non-EU country is 300 euros. If the limit of 300 euros is exceeded, import duties must be paid. Non-EU goods can be temporarily used with full or partial exemption from import duties for purposes such as exhibitions, with the exception of repairs and maintenance work. However, the customs office must release the non-EU goods before they can be used temporarily in the EU.

In this case, the driver did not have the necessary papers, and the value of the car exceeded the travel allowance. Subsequently, a criminal procedure was initiated on suspicion of tax evasion.

For more information, contact the Main Customs Office Dortmund press spokesperson Andrea Münch at 0231-9571-1030 or email [email protected]. The website for more information is www.zoll.de.

It is important to note that there are no search results directly reporting who accused the Dortmund Customs Authority on August 25, 2025, for tax evasion related to a classic car worth millions transported without proper customs papers. This article provides facts about the incident and the procedures involved in customs inspections and temporary use of non-EU goods in the European Union.