117 kg marijuana seized at Bietingen customs
In mid-June 2026, customs officers from the Main Customs Office Singen seized a large quantity of marijuana at the Bietingen customs office. In a Dutch sprinter van, they discovered 17 packages containing a total of 115 vacuum-sealed plastic bags – approximately 117 kilograms of cannabis. The Belgian driver had declared the goods as "Dried Hemp Flowers" for transit from Switzerland to the Czech Republic. Criminal proceedings were initiated against him; further investigations are being conducted by the Konstanz Public Prosecutor's Office.
Inspection at the Bietingen border customs office
Bietingen is located on the German-Swiss border in the Konstanz district and is one of the key checkpoints for transit traffic between Switzerland and Central Europe. There, a Belgian driver submitted a shipping document in mid-June 2026 for the transit of goods from Switzerland to the Czech Republic. The goods were declared as "Dried Hemp Flowers".
Since the term "Hemp" translates to "Hanf" in German, the declaration aroused suspicion among customs officers that this might not be harmless commercial goods. They ordered an inspection of the Dutch sprinter van. During the check, investigators found 17 packages containing a total of 115 vacuum-packed plastic bags of marijuana. According to the Main Customs Office Singen, the total quantity was approximately 117 kilograms.
International transport route
According to the authorities' findings so far, the drugs had initially been transported from the USA via Zurich Airport to Switzerland. From there, they were to pass through German territory to a recipient in the Czech Republic. The Belgian driver apparently served as a link in a cross-border supply chain connecting several countries and transport routes.
The combination of air freight, Swiss interim storage, and subsequent land route across the German border at Bietingen matches a pattern that customs investigators repeatedly observe in larger cannabis smuggling operations. Transit routes through Germany are often used to move goods from a third country to another destination country with seemingly legal declarations – frequently using misleading product descriptions.
No proof of permitted transit
The driver was unable to provide customs officers with proof that permission for the transit of cannabis existed. Without the appropriate authorization, transit remains illegal. The seized marijuana was confiscated and is now available as evidence in the criminal proceedings.
Legal classification in Germany
In principle, the import, export, and transit of cannabis to or through Germany is prohibited. The Cannabis Act provides only a few exceptions – for example, for demonstrably medical purposes. For the present case of a commercial transport involving more than 100 kilograms of marijuana, such exceptions are not applicable according to the current state of investigations.
Anyone who transports cannabis through Germany without the required permits commits a criminal offence. The scale of the seized quantity underscores the seriousness of the suspicion: this is not a minor amount for personal use, but a professionally organized large-scale shipment with considerable market value.
Criminal proceedings and investigations
Criminal proceedings were initiated against the Belgian driver. The Konstanz Public Prosecutor's Office took over further investigations. The aim is to fully clarify the supply chain – from the origins in the USA via the Swiss staging point to the alleged recipient in the Czech Republic. Possible intermediaries and organizers are also in the investigators' focus.
The Main Customs Office Singen emphasizes in its report the importance of routine border controls for uncovering such cases. Even the seemingly harmless product description "Dried Hemp Flowers" was sufficient to order a thorough inspection – resulting in one of the largest drug finds in recent times at the Swiss border.
Further major find in the region
The Bietingen find is part of a series of remarkable drug discoveries by the Main Customs Office Singen. As recently as late April 2026, a customs patrol near Blumberg discovered approximately 50 kilograms of marijuana in a car registered in Frankfurt am Main during a random check.
The drugs were in eight garbage bags containing a total of 47 bags – distributed in the trunk, the spare wheel well, and the footwell in front of the rear seats. This find also shows how smugglers conceal large quantities in everyday vehicles on regional roads. Together with the latest case at the Bietingen customs office, this illustrates the ongoing burden on customs authorities in southern Baden-Württemberg from narcotics trafficking.
- Bietingen, June 2026: approximately 117 kilograms of marijuana in a sprinter van
- Blumberg, April 2026: approximately 50 kilograms of marijuana in a car from Frankfurt
- Both cases: investigations by the Konstanz Public Prosecutor's Office and relevant authorities
Customs controls at the Swiss border
The Bietingen customs office, as a border service station of the Main Customs Office Singen, is responsible for cross-border goods traffic with Switzerland. Numerous vehicles with transit goods pass through daily. The combination of experienced officers, targeted risk analysis, and random checks on surrounding roads forms a tight network against illegal drug trafficking.
Media inquiries should be directed to Sonja Müller at the Main Customs Office Singen at telephone number 07731/8205-5251 or by email at presse.hza-singen@zoll.bund.de. Further information on German customs is available at www.zoll.de.
