461 electric bikes worth over 450,000 leva were seized during two customs inspections in the area of the E-79 road. A specialized customs operation against the smuggling of goods and customs fraud was carried out between May 10 and June 30.
As part of the operation, a heavy-duty vehicle with a Polish driver and registration, traveling from Greece to Poland, was inspected. During the inspection, 252 electric bikes were found in the cargo hold of the vehicle. It was found that they had not been declared to the Greek customs authorities.
About a month later, in the Kresna area, customs officers stopped a heavy-duty vehicle with a Bulgarian registration, transporting goods from Greece to Spain. In its cargo hold, 209 electric bicycles were found, which were declared upon their entry into Greece as bicycle parts, taxed at significantly lower rates.
Administrative criminal proceedings were initiated in accordance with the Customs Act to establish smuggling.
The financial benefit of committing such violations as smuggling and customs fraud with the object of electric bicycles is large, since the legal import of electric bicycles is taxed with a protective duty of 65% of the customs value. The mark is applied to the benefit of European manufacturers.
Electric bicycles are among the modern vehicles in recent years, which offer an alternative and ecological method of transportation. In the last three – four years, their market share has increased significantly to over 5 million bicycles sold per year within the EU, and in some Western European countries over 50% of bicycles sold are now electric. The EU market is dominated by European manufacturers, some of whom also use imported parts.
Consumers should be aware that smuggled products manufactured in third countries are not accompanied by the relevant quality and safety certificates and pose risks of defects during their operation.