Spectacular find

Rambo the service dog tracks down 42,200 cigarettes

(Bild: BMF/Zoll)

At the end of October, customs officers near Bruck an der Leitha in Lower Austria made a remarkable find: a car driver initially claimed to be carrying eight cartons of cigarettes. However, service dog "Rambo" showed his sniffer sense - the officers finally discovered 42,200 cigarettes in the double floor of a van.

In a remarkable operation at the end of October, the Austrian customs office uncovered a significant case of cigarette smuggling. During an inspection of a VW van on the A4 motorway in the direction of Vienna, near Bruck an der Leitha, customs officers seized a considerable quantity of 42,200 smuggled cigarettes. The value of the goods amounted to 12,125 euros.

Cigarettes hidden in a false bottom
The occupants of the vehicle, a Bulgarian citizen and his mother, initially stated that they were only carrying eight cartons of cigarettes. But thanks to the keen sense of smell of service dog "Rambo", the truth came to light. The four-legged helper sniffed out a total of 211 cartons of cigarettes, which were cleverly hidden under a false floor in the back of the van.

The evaded amount of the confiscated cigarettes is around 7,500 euros.

(Bild: BMF/Zoll)

(Bild: BMF/Zoll)

Intended resale in Italy
Confronted with the evidence, the driver finally confessed to the smuggling. He stated that he had bought the cigarettes for 6000 euros in Bulgaria with the intention of selling them on to acquaintances in Italy. As the cigarettes were of Bulgarian origin, they were subject to local tobacco tax when transported to Austria. The loss caused by the evasion amounts to around 7500 euros.

Tax evasion is not a trivial offense and will continue to be severely punished. This is how we ensure fairness in our domestic economy.

Finanzminister Magnus Brunner (ÖVP)

Minister of Finance Magnus Brunner emphasized the importance of such investigations: "I would like to thank the customs officers for their ever watchful eye. Tax evasion is not a trivial offense and will continue to be severely punished. This is how we ensure fairness in our domestic economy."

The customs authorities confiscated both the 42,200 cigarettes and the vehicle. The case was handed over to the customs investigation department for further investigation under financial criminal law.