Customs and police strike: violations uncovered in Marl and Recklinghausen!

Customs and police strike: violations uncovered in Marl and Recklinghausen!

In the past few days, joint controls by police, customs and various authorities in Marl and Recklinghausen have caused a stir. The control operations, which took place on November 5th and 6th, were aimed at thoroughly checking tax, regulatory and criminal law aspects. A total of 25 objects, including kiosks, drinking halls, shisha shops and retail stores, were examined.

In Marl itself, 12 properties from the Mitte, Brassert and Drewer districts were checked. There were four criminal proceedings due to violations of the Tobacco Tax Act, and one administrative offense report was filed due to a violation of food law. As far as the results in Recklinghausen are concerned, the authorities were able to achieve results that were no less revealing. In the 13 companies inspected in the Central and South districts, violations were consistently found, including irregularities in accordance with the Price Tax Ordinance.

Violations discovered

The findings of the main customs office in Dortmund were particularly alarming. In Reklingenhausen, a total of 453 untaxed e-cigarettes, almost 2,100 untaxed cigarettes, 6 kg of untaxed water pipe tobacco and even 162 kg of untaxed coffee were seized. There were also deviations in luxury foods; 464 snus packets and 53 CBD vapes were found. In addition, potency honey was seized, which could result in violations of the Medicines Act.

As the reports from the Federal Ministry of Finance show, the prosecution of tax crimes in Germany is constantly increasing. In 2023, around 47,900 criminal proceedings for such offenses were processed. This shows that the current control operations in Marl and Recklinghausen are part of a larger trend in which the authorities are increasingly taking action against tax evasion and similar legal violations. The tax investigation achieves remarkable results; Around 34,600 cases were processed and additional taxes of around 2.5 billion euros were identified.

Need for preventive action

The current incidents illustrate how important preventive measures are in the business environment. Problems such as IT system failures, which can disrupt business processes and result in lost sales, are not uncommon. Companies are well advised to conclude preventive maintenance contracts in order to prevent major disruptions. A solid IT system can reduce risks that could potentially have tax consequences.

The police and customs authorities are required to continue intensive controls together with the trade inspectorate and city treasuries. The violations identified in the last few days are a clear expression of efforts to combat tax injustice and should serve as a warning signal to all business owners. Those who take their duties seriously not only do good business, but also contribute to the legal order in the region.