It was in October 2021 that a man in his 70s was stopped at customs in Helsingborg after a trip to Germany.
In the car, 609 liters of strong beer and 81 liters of spirits were found which had not been reported to the Customs and thereby he violated the conditions for importing alcohol.
Brought in alcohol “as a thank you”
The man in question has acknowledged the actual circumstances of the case, but has denied any wrongdoing. This with reference to the fact that 40 cases of strong beer were intended for private use and that “the remaining amount of alcohol was brought in when he was in an emergency”, according to the judgment from the Helsingborg district court which News24 took part in.
More specifically, the man has claimed that he bought and brought the alcohol into the country “as a thank you” to a man he accompanied to Germany. This is because this person must have provided him with accommodation in Sweden.
Furthermore, the man has stated that he did not know which rules apply to the importation of alcohol.
The man is sentenced to community service
But according to the Helsingborg district court, the man acted with intent to indifference in connection with the entry because he did not check whether the entry was permitted or not.
It is also not considered that the man can be exempted from responsibility because of the alleged “emergency situation” he found himself in when, according to the law, it “does not constitute an emergency”.
The man is therefore sentenced to 75 hours of community service for smuggling.