During June, July, and August, the Swedish Customs strengthens controls in marinas along the Swedish coast. In total, the Swedish Customs will carry out inspections in about a hundred marinas. The purpose of the visits is to reveal smuggling that takes place with leisure boats and to inform the public and port managers about what to be aware of when it comes to smuggling.

We know that it is smuggled in leisure boats and we assess that the number of unreported cases is large, says Oscar Lindvall, deputy head of unit at the Swedish Customs’ control department in the south. There are very many marinas and it is difficult for us to keep track of them all. That is why we need the eyes and ears of the public.

Between 2018 and 2021, the Swedish Customs made about twenty seizures of leisure boats in marinas.
To be able to reveal more smuggling, the Swedish Customs now wants to get help from the public and recreational boat owners to get tips about suspected smuggling. Therefore, the Swedish Customs conducts inspections in marinas and at the same time informs port managers about tipping the Swedish Customs what they can be observant of.

You should pay extra attention to small high-speed boats that go to sea at strange times or in bad weather and boats that travel at night with extinguished lanterns, says Oscar Lindvall.

Another thing that can arouse interest is if you see that goods are loaded between ships or boats at sea or if you see that goods are dumped overboard. Small boats that have contact with larger vessels can also be interesting.

Tips from the public led to a large seizure of drugs

A few years ago, the Swedish Customs received a tip from the public when 69 kilos of cocaine floated ashore on a beach outside Höganäs. Thanks to the attentive public, several people, in that case, could be linked to the crime and convicted of an attempted extremely serious drug crime.

This turned out to be a big and spectacular case and you can never know in advance what a tip will lead to. Feel free to tip us and rather once too much, says Oscar Lindvall.