Customs seized ivory jewelry, exotic parrots and luxury watches in the first half of the year. More illegal drugs were seized, but in smaller quantities. Customs registered declines in both drug smuggling and uncovered cases of product piracy – according to the Treasury Department, both are related to the eCommerce regulation that has been in effect since July 1, 2021.
Customs discovered 60 pieces of jewelery and art made from ivory on an online sales platform. More than three kilograms of ivory were found in the seller’s house in the district of Vöcklabruck (Upper Austria). The Carinthian customs investigation prevented the illegal sale of four rare parrots, the macaw pairs were offered at an online bird fair. Four travelers from Istanbul had 15 luxury watches with them at Salzburg airport. The Ministry of Finance estimated the total value of the goods, which should have gone through the green channel unpaid, at more than 500,000 euros.
Ivermectin detections are declining
In the first six months, the Austrian customs office (ZAÖ) also registered significantly more seizures of illegal medicines than in the whole of 2021: 39,702 prohibited imports were detected in 5864 cases, in the comparable period of 2021 there were 3,419 seizures of 151,200 units. However, the previously numerous bouts of the horse dewormer Ivermectin dropped significantly this year. The number of reports of illicit drug trafficking increased from around 2000 in the first half of 2021 to around 6000. SAÖ boss Heike Fetka-Blüthner analyzed: The tripling can be attributed, among other things, to the increase in customs clearance due to the eCommerce regulations and the accompanying increase in controls.
Even small shipments now have to be taxed from the first cent and thus cleared through customs. “As we can see, this regulation is bearing fruit, because it and the great commitment of our employees in its implementation will ensure fair competition, more tax fairness and at the same time strengthen our Austrian trade,” said Finance Minister Magnus Brunner ( ÖVP).
Nearly 148 kilos of narcotics seized
There were 1,491 reports of narcotics in 2021 from January to June, this year 763, nearly 148 kilograms, were seized. This development is also related to the registration requirement and the increased pressure to check small consignments in the second half of 2021. In addition, supply chains were interrupted with the security authorities.
Customs has identified a similar phenomenon in product piracy. The number of repossessions and the value of original goods are decreasing. “Smuggling doesn’t stop, it shifts. The routes change or the way or what is smuggled or how illegal trade is conducted,” says Fetka-Blüthner. The controls would be adjusted accordingly.
The number of cigarette smuggling cases this year is higher than in the first half of 2021 (780 seizures), when 1066 tobacco products were seized, but the number is significantly lower: 418,143 were there so far in 2022, and by the end of the In June 2021 there were almost twice as many (818,377).
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
