Marijuana, cigars, medicines, crocodiles. How not to become a holiday smuggler?

– A shell from the beach, an original souvenir, regional cured meat… Sometimes it is only at the border that we discover we are carrying goods for which we may face a hefty fine in Poland or 3 to 5 years in prison – explains Agnieszka Rzeźnicka-Gniadek, spokesperson for the Lower Silesian KAS. – To avoid unpleasant surprises, it is worth learning both Polish customs law and the regulations in the country we are travelling to.

Schengen Area – which goods cannot be freely transported?

In the Netherlands, you can legally buy marijuana, but taking it out of the country to most European countries may land you behind bars. Individual countries in the Schengen Area have separate legal regulations. The spokesperson: – Remember this when travelling around Europe.

What about medicines?

Various regulations apply, among other things, to transporting medicines, especially psychotropic drugs, epilepsy and ADHD medication, as well as strong painkillers. Strict regulations apply, for example, in Norway. Many substances that we commonly use, including in Poland, cannot be bought there or require a prescription.

We may take a certain quantity of medicines with us in their original packaging, but we must have a medical certificate to prove that they are intended for our personal use. Appropriate documents are also necessary when transporting antiques. More about travelling in the Schengen Area can be found at granica.gov.pl.

By car you can transport 10 cigars, by ship – 50, but you must eat a cheese sandwich before reaching the EU border

When crossing the external borders of the EU or the Schengen Area, pay particular attention to the value of transported gifts and souvenirs and the quantity of so-called excise goods (cigarettes, alcohol). These values vary depending on the means of transport. When travelling by land, declare goods being brought in that are worth more than 300 euros; when entering the EU by air or sea, the threshold is 430 euros. Different limits also apply to tobacco and alcohol products. At the border, also declare larger amounts of cash – the limit is EUR 10,000 or the equivalent in other currencies.

Office:

Remember that animal-origin food – meat, cured meats and dairy products – cannot be brought into the EU. Such products may contain pathogens that cause infectious diseases in animals. Therefore, at the border they must be thrown into a special container. Exceptions may include baby food and food products used for health reasons.

Food of non-animal origin may be brought into the EU without border sanitary inspection, but only for personal use. As for plant products, only five types of fruit may be brought into the EU: bananas, coconuts, durians, pineapples and dates. Before travelling, be sure to check the customs regulations applicable in the country you are travelling to – for example, on the embassy’s website.

Smugglers “recruit” tourists

In some countries drug smuggling may result in many years in prison or even the death penalty. In addition, criminals try to use tourists as their intermediaries, often completely unaware of it.

How can you protect yourself?

KAS: – Above all, do not accept any items from strangers for transport. It may turn out that the “medicines for your aunt” are drugs or other illegal goods. Also remember to keep your luggage in sight at all times, so that no one can replace it or slip anything into it. Do not leave your luggage unattended, as it may be considered suspicious. When the authorities take an interest in such a package, you may receive another souvenir from your holiday – a fine.

Problematic shells and Asian medicines

In 2021, KAS detained 20,900 CITES specimens – endangered species protected under the provisions of the Washington Convention (CITES). Officers: – These included 1,572 live animals, as well as 18,500 specimens of Asian medicinal products.

At Wrocław-Strachowice Airport, Customs and Tax Service officers found more than 52,000 cigarettes, 35 litres of spirits and 330 kg of food products of animal origin in travellers’ possession during the 2021 holiday period.

Tourists’ suitcases may contain animal skins, ivory, corals and shells, as well as various medicines from traditional Asian medicine. Seized souvenirs often include stuffed animals, such as big cats or crocodiles.

Sometimes rare specimens can be found: porcupine quills, alligator teeth or hippopotamus teeth. Buying such souvenirs made from protected animals and plants not only contributes to their suffering and the extinction of entire species. It is also a crime punishable by a hefty fine, 3 months to 5 years in prison and the loss of the specimen.

There are tens of thousands of protected plant and animal species, and learning to identify them all is practically impossible. Before travelling abroad, check which problematic souvenirs deserve particular attention. Information on this subject can be found at podatki.gov.pl and on the websites of the embassies of individual countries. However, it is best to forgo buying items made from animals.

Why can’t you take shells or corals found on the beach with you?

Such souvenirs are fashionable. Tourists, even if they do not buy them, often try to break off a piece of reef. Imagine what happens when only one in every ten tourists does this. Moreover, allowing such items to be transported automatically creates favourable conditions for the development of illegal trade. As a result, the reef in the Mediterranean Sea is already devastated, and protected animals are being caught to obtain fashionable shells from them.