Current customs adventure: man smuggled snake in underpants!

Current customs adventure: man smuggled snake in underpants!

At the BER Airport, many stories occur every day - from a warm farewell to bizarre discoveries. A particularly bizarre episode provided a traveler who had smuggled a living snake in his underpants. This was reported by Zollamtsrat Dennis R. during a shift accompaniment by Berlin Live at Berlin's capital airport. What the man specifically intended remained unclear, but the animal was confiscated by customs.

The work of the customs officials at the airport is not limited to the resolving of living animals. A wide range of unauthorized objects, from narcotics to money and cigarettes, achieve the officials: "It ranges from 'I made a mistake' to adventurous excuses," said Dennis R. about daily encounters with travelers.

curiosities and species protection

The confiscation of goods in connection with species protection occurs particularly frequently. "There have been cases of stuffed crocodiles that were wrapped in carpets," added the Customs Council. As soon as living animals are involved, the officials cooperate closely with animal welfare organizations to ensure a species -appropriate attitude. While there are always bizarre discoveries, a common topic is not spared the customs officials: tobacco and gold jewelry. In particular, the focus has also been on anesthetic like marijuana for some time.

A common problem is that many passengers are not aware of the permitted and unauthorized objects, especially with regard to the different legal regulations in different countries. This is particularly relevant since cannabis in Germany was legalized, but is still illegal in many other countries.

goods and VAT refunds

But not only bizarre cases determine everyday customs life. Travelers with residence outside the EU have the opportunity to have the VAT paid for when purchasing in Germany. The prerequisite for this is the submission of purchases, invoices and travel documents at customs. These documents are confirmed at the customs switches, which are located in Terminal 1, where the luggage is also removed, as described.

For private individuals with goods in hand luggage, it is important to go directly to the hand -luggage handling of customs after the security control. Additional information on the reimbursement of VAT is available in the nearby Cash Refund Offices from Global Blue and Travelex, where travelers can receive the reimbursement in cash or as a credit on their credit cards.

Given the multitude of provisions and the often bizarre cases with which customs are dealing with at the airport, it is recommended for travelers to study the rules and laws before their next trip to avoid unpleasant surprises.