On May 10th, the German customs department responded to questions raised by 2FIRSTS on their official website and publicly announced the results of their enforcement at "The Hall of Vape" electronic cigarette exhibition in Stuttgart. During the two-day event, German customs officials seized nearly 300 liters of untaxed "tobacco substitute products" and brought criminal charges against the responsible individuals associated with eight cases.
According to a report from German customs, a total of 15 booths were inspected and 11 of them were found to be engaging in illegal activities. The operators of these booths avoided a total of 46,000 euros in tobacco tax through the commercial transfer of taxable products.
In eight cases, German customs have taken legal action against those responsible for the exhibition stands; the customs department has currently received a total of around 36,000 euros in bail. Additionally, six exhibition staff members have been handed over to the German police department on suspicion of illegal residency.
According to German customs officials, in the days leading up to the trade show, they conducted inspections at electronic cigarette shops in Esslingen, Filderstadt, Weinstadt, and Backnang and discovered untaxed tobacco products and "proxy tobacco products," resulting in a total of 2200 euros in tax evasion.
The German customs agency has also released a definition for "tobacco substitute products", which includes products that generate aerosols or vapors through devices, including e-liquids used in electronic cigarettes.
Starting on July 1, 2022, Germany requires that all e-cigarette liquid follows the revised Tobacco Tax Law. The German government is imposing a tobacco tax of 16 euro cents per milliliter of e-liquid.
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The customs officials discovered untaxed tobacco substitutes at the Stuttgart fair.
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