German-Polish Customs Collaboration Yields Cleared Goods

German and Polish Customs Officers Seize Counterfeit Cigarettes Worth over €80,000 in Joint Operation

In a joint patrol operation, German and Polish customs officers have seized a large quantity of counterfeit cigarettes in the Polish border town of Bogatynia. The operation, which has been ongoing for over 10 years, aimed to combat the illegal trade of tobacco products in the border area between Germany and Poland.

On August 22, 2025, customs officers conducted checks in the town, discovering a person loading several boxes from a garage into their car. Upon inspection, it was found that all the boxes contained cigarette packs, totaling 300,400 cigarettes of various types. Over 90% of the cigarettes were counterfeit, resulting in a tax loss of approximately 370,000 Zloty (around €80,000).

The identified individual was known to the customs, and both the already loaded and the remaining boxes in the garage were inspected. The seized cigarettes were mainly supplied to markets near the border by the individual.

Heike Wilsdorf, the press spokesperson for the Main Customs Office Dresden, confirmed the seizure. She has held this role since at least 2025, as evidenced by her contact information on official press releases from August 2025. To contact Ms. Wilsdorf, call 0351/4644-1044, or send emails to [email protected].

Further investigations are being conducted by the Polish customs, and the Main Customs Office Dresden can be contacted for inquiries. The official website of the Main Customs Office Dresden is www.zoll.de.

This information was transmitted by the Main Customs Office Dresden via news aktuell. The joint patrol with Polish customs officers has been a regular occurrence for more than 10 years, operating on both sides of the Neisse. The aim is to ensure the protection of consumers and the collection of taxes, as well as to maintain the integrity of the European Union's single market.