Customs investigation in Berlin: Trader is said to have defrauded over a million euros!

Customs investigation in Berlin: Trader is said to have defrauded over a million euros!

On July 10, 2025, customs investigators carried out a spectacular operation in Hamburg, during which they searched the offices and apartments of a Berlin grocer. Loud sueddeutsche.de Extensive evidence and assets worth several hundred thousand euros were seized.

The background noise cannot be denied, because the suspicion in the air is serious: it is a matter of commercial tax evasion and a violation of the Russian sanctions. The trader, who mainly imported caviar substitutes, a product considered a luxury good, between Russia and Germany, is said to have repeatedly provided false information in customs declarations over the past six years, defrauding the state treasury of more than one million euros.

Caviar Substitute Controversies

The food retailer in question, which operates mainly via the Internet, has repeatedly provided incorrect customs tariff numbers to the customs authorities. This has led to customs clearance irregularities in the past. Despite multiple attempts to clear the goods at various customs offices, the dealer was unsuccessful, further fueling the investigation. In fact, since mid-2024 he has been under observation by the Hamburg Customs Investigation Office, which works on behalf of the public prosecutor's office.

How Zoll.de reported that the entrepreneur claimed that the goods were not fit for consumption - but the customs authorities refuted this by stating that the caviar substitute was certainly suitable for human consumption. According to the investigation, the ban on the import of luxury goods from Russia is seriously violated in this case.

Penalties and consequences

Nils Gärtner, head of the Hamburg customs investigation office, emphasized the importance of the investigation and the strict consequences that await the suspect. If convicted, there is a risk of a prison sentence of at least one year for each individual offense in accordance with the Foreign Trade Act. In addition, a penalty of between six months and ten years can be imposed for commercial evasion of import or export duties in accordance with the tax code.

The searches on July 8th this week make it clear that customs authorities in Germany are taking decisive action against illegal trading practices. Further investigations are still ongoing and it remains to be seen how this case will develop. The coming weeks could be crucial for the Berlin grocer and for the strict sanction regulations that apply in Germany.

The question now remains for readers: How far will customs go to prevent such machinations? In any case, the investigators have already shown that they have a good hand. There will certainly be more to report on this case and further developments soon, as the pressure on the grocer is increasing.

In the meantime, it remains to be seen how the legal framework for the import of products considered luxury goods will develop. The search for clarity is essential in times of political tension.

For detailed information on this topic, you can read the report on presseportal.de read up.