Cologne Brings in Nearly 5 Billion Euros in Sales
The Cologne Customs Office's Impressive 2024 Performance
Hey there! Let's dive into the head-spinning statistics from the main customs office in Cologne, shall we?
In 2024, they managed to rake in a jaw-dropping five billion euros in tax revenue. Almost four billion of that came from import VAT, according to their annual report. The number of customs declarations also grew, hitting 10.5 million. This is a slight increase from the previous year's 10.3 million.
But, not everything was smooth sailing. Approximately 22 million euros worth of goods were seized, including over 370,000 counterfeit items such as bags, watches, and clothing. Yikes!
Now, let's talk drugs. In the realm of narcotics control, Cologne made some serious strides. They got their hands on 115 kilograms of crystal meth, 287 kilograms of hashish, and a whopping 4,000+ kilograms of marijuana. "Our crystal meth seizures have almost quadrupled compared to last year, and for marijuana and hashish, they've more than doubled," said Frank Denner, head of the main customs office in Cologne.
The dog handlers at Cologne/Bonn Airport were the real MVPs, seizing 218 kilograms of marijuana in just two nights, assisted by four-legged pals Scully, Finch, Paula, and Abby.
Moving onto the financial control unit for undeclared work, they inspected over 800 employers and launched more than 5,000 investigations in the past year. The uncovered damages in social security exceeded 40 million euros, according to the customs office.
The European Anti-Drug Crusade
It's important to note that these aggressive drug control efforts at Cologne customs are part of a broader European focus on combating the high availability and sophisticated production of illicit drugs. Customs and law enforcement at major entry points—like maritime ports, airports, and land borders—continue to be the first line of defense in seizing large quantities of drugs within the EU.
Efforts have heightened to counter rapid innovation in illicit drug production through enhanced control of precursor chemicals, including substances used to manufacture synthetic drugs such as cathinones and amphetamines. This involves risk assessments and scheduling of new precursors at the EU level to keep pace with criminal networks that continually change their chemical formulas to evade detection.
The Coast is Clear, but Watch Your Back
As for undeclared work investigations at the Cologne customs office, specific details are currently scarce. German customs authorities are typically tasked with controlling undeclared work as part of their broader mandate, often collaborating with other agencies, but recent publicly available reports do not specify current cases or the status at Cologne. So, while the good guys are making big moves, the bad guys are probably somewhere, planning their next move. Stay vigilant, folks!
In the broader context of Europe, the impressive drug seizures at Cologne Customs Office contribute significantly to the European Anti-Drug Crusade, with increased focus on combating illicit drug production and countering rapid innovations in the manufacturing of synthetic drugs. However, while the financial control unit for undeclared work at Cologne Customs Office has been instrumental in uncovering millions in unpaid social security, specific details regarding current undeclared work investigations are currently scarce within the general-news and finance industries, indicating ongoing efforts to combat such activities.
