Customs at Vienna Airport record 5,003 seizures in 2025

In the smuggling of tobacco products, the tally showed 1,667 seizures. Approximately 4,457,565 cigarettes, 285.5 kilograms of rolling tobacco, and 96.6 kilograms of water pipe tobacco were seized. The officers' largest individual success was the seizure of 174,600 cigarettes hidden in two cars from Bulgaria.

Tobacco smuggling and the largest individual find

In the fight against product piracy, there were 84 seizures in 2025. A total of 91,186 counterfeit items with an estimated value of 7,137,680 euros were confiscated. 804 cases involved jewelry worth 4,249,945 euros, along with textiles and bags worth 357,719 euros and watches worth 281,214 euros.

Product piracy worth millions

In the segment of pharmaceuticals and potency-enhancing products, customs recorded 62 kilograms and 41,503 items of pharmaceuticals as well as a total of 72 seizures. A total of 24,936 potency pills were found in two travel bags from Delhi alone.

Cash controls (Cash-Control) saw 59 seizures with a total value of 2,053,394 euros. Food smuggling was also an issue: additionally confiscated were 5,359 kilograms of meat and meat products as well as 3,006 kilograms of milk and dairy products.

The mobile control unit of the Eastern Office, which operates not only at the airport but also on roads, conducted 434 operations and inspected 86,955 vehicles. It is thus another pillar of customs work beyond the airport grounds.

Species protection and curious finds

Csenar also reported roughly 18 percent more seizures in species protection. Among the confiscated curiosities—alongside drugs, illegally introduced cash, or potency pills—were a hat with snake bones reminiscent of "Crocodile Dundee," a headdress made of parrot feathers, and a pipe made of ivory, according to information from Tuesday.

Scale of the location and outlook

Airport board member Günther Ofner pointed to the scale of the location: 18 million suitcases per year need to be inspected at the airport, "50,000 per day," as well as six million packages, "13,000 per day." Vienna Airport handled 32.6 million passengers last year and is a hotspot in travel traffic, Eibinger-Miedl said.

For 2026, more passengers are already being handled than in the entire previous year, according to the report. A total of around 30 million air travelers is expected this year. As for seizures, Csenar expects 2026 to be "successful" as well.

For context, Eibinger-Miedl emphasized that every seized case requires extensive investigative work. The range extends from classic drug finds to document forgery and violations of species protection regulations. Customs are therefore called upon on many fronts simultaneously.

Ofner highlighted the economic significance of the airport: each year, not only passengers and suitcases are handled there, but also cargo on a considerable scale. The seizure of counterfeit goods also protects European manufacturers from impermissible competition from third countries such as recently from Doha or Delhi.

Csenar noted that the successes are made possible not only by the size of the airport, but also by the training and specialization of customs officers. There are dedicated specialist teams for drugs, brand piracy, and species protection.

The Ministry of Finance announced that controls will also be ramped up during the current year and that the staffing situation at the Eastern Office will be further strengthened. In view of rising passenger and cargo figures, the technical equipment of the inspection points will also be expanded.

Csenar concluded by emphasizing that customs at Vienna-Schwechat Airport will continue to rely on a mix of spot checks, risk analysis, and international exchange of experience in order to detect and halt illegal flows of goods at an early stage.