The officers detained the newlyweds who were returning from their honeymoon. The end of their happy and heavenly journey was not very joyful for them, because as it turned out, their luggage contained eight dead skeletons.
This is one of the items protected by the Washington Convention (CITES) and which absolutely cannot be transported abroad.
The transport of souvenirs made from protected specimens of animal and plant origin is punishable by imprisonment from three months to five years and confiscation of the transported specimens.
The illegal souvenirs were found by customs officers during a routine X-ray of luggage.
“The travelers stated that they found the above-mentioned specimens on the beach and took them as souvenirs. Unfortunately, due to the failure to present the import permit required by law and the certificate of origin, the travelers violated the provisions of the Nature Conservation Act. The specimens were seized for further investigation,” says Jacek Standara from the Fiscal Administration Chamber in Gdańsk, quoted by trójmiasto.pl.
Imports to Poland may be restricted by customs and environmental regulations. The regulations are regulated by It was drawn up in Washington on 3 March 1973, and Poland ratified accession to this convention on 12 December 1989. It entered into force in Poland on 12 March 1990.
The aim of the convention is to protect wild animals and plants whose species are threatened with extinction. The convention is based on monitoring control and ultimately on limiting international trade in them. An important assumption of the convention is also international cooperation to limit illegal trade in these specimens.
To protect yourself from the rather severe penalties for transporting illegal souvenirs across the border, it is worth knowing what they include, especially now during the holiday season.
constitute quite a large group of souvenirs. Figurines or fragments are often made of them and sold as protective talismans in a given culture of a particular country. These include ivory, skins and furs of protected animal species (e.g. crocodiles, snakes) and products from rhinoceros horns.
Another group are They may be prohibited due to the risk of transferring pests and diseases. Products made from protected species of trees and plants should also not be transported. Examples include furniture made of mahogany or items made of mother-of-pearl and shells, or from coral reefs, as was the case with newlyweds returning from Bali.
It turns out that tourists sometimes want to bring back truly unique souvenirs from their vacation. There have been cases of arrests due to transport. There have been cases of attempts to export pieces of historic sculptures or buildings.
You should also be careful with food products. Tourists often like to bring olive oil from Greece, sweets from Italy, or cheeses from France, and although this is not often a problem, you should be vigilant and check the regulations carefully.
Some food products may be prohibited due to public health risks, such as certain types of meat and dairy products. For example, the import of meat and meat products (e.g. sausages, canned meat) from countries outside the European Union is prohibited.
We may also encounter unpleasantness at the border when we try to import fake branded products, i.e. so-called counterfeits.