German customs seize 90kg of viral TikTok luxury Dubai pistachio chocolate at airport

The woman involved failed to declare 460 200g chocolate bars packed across three suitcases.

German customs officials announced on January 8 that they had confiscated 90kg of luxury chocolate from Dubai at Hamburg Airport in December 2024. The chocolate was subject to hundreds of euros in import duties.

The chocolate bars, which gained popularity on TikTok, are filled with pistachios and crispy shredded filo pastry. In Germany, they retail for approximately €25 (S$35) each, with people often queuing for hours to purchase them.

The 33-year-old woman involved, whose identity was not disclosed, failed to declare 460 200g chocolate bars packed across three suitcases. A spokesperson for German customs stated that the woman claimed to have purchased each bar for €4.60.

The confiscated chocolate bars, whose brand remains unspecified, are now slated for re-export or destruction.

Officials estimated the bars’ total value at around €2,100 and suspected they were intended for commercial sale. 

"In addition to the potential tax evasion for the evaded import duties of over €330, customs in this case is primarily concerned with protecting the health of citizens in Germany," the customs office explained in a statement.

Customs officers noted the absence of ingredient or allergen information on the bars’ packaging, which they said could pose health risks to consumers.

The woman was not detained but will face an investigation for possible tax evasion, according to a customs official.