Customs Selb: Drugs seized in postal shipments
The Selb traffic routes control unit of the Regensburg Main Customs Office seized numerous narcotics and new psychoactive substances while inspecting postal shipments from the Netherlands. The parcels and letters were due to be transported via Germany to the Czech Republic. Customs officers initiated a total of thirteen criminal proceedings, uncovering a smuggling route that increasingly relies on seemingly harmless everyday items.
Inspection on the transit route
Officers from the Selb traffic routes control unit inspected shipments from a postal service provider. Such measures are carried out regularly on a random basis. Modern X-ray equipment is among the tools used to scan the contents of parcels and envelopes without opening them initially. If there is suspicion of a criminal offence or administrative violation, the shipments are opened and examined in greater detail.
Selb is located on an important transport axis near the Czech border and serves as a central checkpoint for transit traffic. On such routes, smugglers frequently use transit through several EU countries in the hope that shipments will reach their destination unnoticed. The latest seizures show that this strategy does not always succeed.
During the latest inspection, officers found shipments concealing narcotics and so-called legal highs. Senders had hidden the substances inside various everyday objects to make transport appear inconspicuous. Smugglers' ingenuity ranged from birthday cards and a small Bluetooth speaker to various product packaging designed to give the impression of harmless goods.
Seized substances in detail
As part of the inspection, nine criminal proceedings were initiated for violations of the Narcotics Act and four further proceedings for violations of the New Psychoactive Substances Act. The range of seized goods extends from classic illegal drugs to synthetically produced substances often traded online as supposedly legal alternatives.
Violations of the Narcotics Act
In the nine proceedings under the Narcotics Act, investigators found among other items 93 grams of hallucinogenic mushrooms containing psilocybin and a cultivation station for such mushrooms. Also seized were 40 grams of amphetamine, ten grams of crystal meth, 60 diazepam tablets, five bromazolam tablets, 1.3 grams of cocaine, ten grams of synthetic cathinones, and 502 ecstasy tablets with a net weight of 210 grams.
Particularly striking is the combination of classic party drugs such as ecstasy and crystal meth alongside sedative medications like diazepam. Such mixtures suggest the shipments were not intended solely for personal use but may have been destined for different recipients.
New psychoactive substances under NpSG
In four cases, violations of the New Psychoactive Substances Act were identified. Specifically, this involved 37.6 grams of NEP, 50 grams of 2-MMC, 1.2 grams of Phen-F, seven blotters containing 1S-LSD, and five blotters containing 4-AcO-MET. These substances belong to the so-called new psychoactive substances frequently sold under names such as legal highs, herbal mixtures, or bath salts and often ordered by post.
Since their composition and effects are often difficult to predict, they can pose significant health risks. Online trade in such products has increased markedly in recent years, underscoring the importance of targeted postal inspections.
Criminal proceedings and possible breach of prohibition
Criminal proceedings were initiated against the respective addressees of the shipments. Depending on the circumstances, there is suspicion of violations of the Narcotics Act in connection with breach of prohibition or violations of the New Psychoactive Substances Act. Breach of prohibition refers to transporting goods across borders although their import, export, or transit is legally prohibited or restricted.
Anyone who unlawfully imports, exports, or arranges transit of narcotics through Germany regularly violates not only the Narcotics Act but also customs regulations. In such cases, the offence of breach of prohibition may additionally be fulfilled, which can intensify the legal assessment of the act.
If there is suspicion that narcotics are being ordered regularly or in larger quantities, or if there are indications of commercial trafficking, the Munich Customs Investigation Office takes over further investigations. This means the case can escalate from routine postal inspection into a larger investigation if evidence of organized trade emerges.
Customs monitors postal traffic within the EU
Even within the European Union, customs authorities inspect cross-border postal and parcel shipments. Although there are no classic customs borders within the EU, customs continues to monitor goods traffic to uncover violations of legal prohibitions and restrictions. Inspections are carried out on a random basis or based on risk analysis.
Among the most frequent seizures are narcotics, new psychoactive substances, medicines, weapons, and other goods whose import, export, or transit is legally prohibited or restricted. The seized blotters also illustrate how even low-dose substances are transported on absorbent paper. These serve as carrier material for substances such as LSD or similar compounds and are usually absorbed through the oral mucosa.
Authority response and health warning
Günter Schnabel, head of the Selb traffic routes control unit, emphasized that criminals repeatedly attempt to hide drugs in seemingly inconspicuous postal shipments. Regular inspections show that customs consistently monitors this smuggling route as well. Every seized shipment prevents drugs from reaching their destination and protects the public from the dangers of these substances.
Inquiries about the press release should be directed to the Regensburg Main Customs Office press office. For the public, the case is another example of how closely customs monitors cross-border goods traffic even beyond classic border crossings. The latest find in Selb underscores that the postal route remains attractive for illegal drug trafficking and that official controls on transit routes remain essential.
