Customs Offices in Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate Handle 21 Million Shipments, Seize Weapons and Falsified Goods

A record-breaking year for customs offices. They intercepted weapons, tobacco, and fake goods, contributing significantly to the state's finances.

, and Administrator

2025 October 10 . 10:03 AM

1 min read

This picture contains panzers placed on the white color cloth. In the background, it is white in... — This picture contains panzers placed on the white color cloth. In the background, it is white in color.

Customs Offices in Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate Handle 21 Million Shipments, Seize Weapons and Falsified Goods

Customs offices in Saarland and southern Rhineland-Palatinate processed a staggering 21 million goods shipments in 2024. Meanwhile, the Main Customs Office Saarbrücken contributed a significant 812 million euros in taxes and duties to the state, with excise taxes being the largest source of income at 267 million euros.

The customs control units had a busy year, seizing 25 weapons, a substantial increase from the 13 weapons seized in 2023. They also intercepted over six tons of untaxed water pipe tobacco and around 103,000 grams of smoking tobacco. Additionally, they seized and destroyed falsified goods worth over 3 million euros, predominantly from China.

The Financial Control Schwarzarbeit (FKS) played a crucial role in 2024, checking over 630 employers, initiating almost 2,600 investigations, and completing around 2,280 investigations. Their efforts resulted in imprisonment of almost 20 years and uncovered damages for social security amounting to around 11 million euros.

The Main Customs Office Saarbrücken currently employs 544 staff, including 106 trainees. For those interested in joining the customs service, applications for training and studies starting on September 1, 2026, are still open until October 15, 2025. The institutions available for application on the www.zoll-karriere.de website include the Hauptzollamt Heilbronn for the middle and higher service, and the Generalzolldirektion for administration informatics.