Frankfurt customs investigators seized around 4.7 tonnes of untaxed coffee from a warehouse in the city on 27 October 2026. Officers also searched eight residential and business premises for written and electronic evidence.
Since late 2024, customs investigators have been tracing three men on behalf of the Frankfurt Public Prosecutor’s Office. They are suspected of illegally importing untaxed coffee from the Benelux countries into Germany and evading taxes. Investigators are also examining suspected evasion of value-added, income and trade taxes.
The investigation followed findings by the main customs offices in Darmstadt and Bielefeld. Business inspections and customs checks uncovered discrepancies in the declared quantities of imported coffee.
