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Smuggling

Karlos

Karlos

Messages
1,570
Location
Fowey
Vehicle
Cali now sold
Am I the only one who is wondering how to secrete from the rozzers at Calais or any other port and keep cold my collection of meat & dairy products when we can travel freely to Europe again and also has anyone experienced any searches at borders or the roadside?

Our European trips usually follow this pattern and as we both still work our trips to the south usually consist of a late sailing then drive for a few hours, some sleep then a long drive the next day usually until 7 or 8pm and then maybe 4 or so hours on day 2 if the destination is Spain or Italy but usually in Southern France we arrive on the first day.

If I have another Cali by then I thought a cool bag at the bottom of the wardrobe may do the trick providing they don't turn us over and maybe some cheap decoy ham in the fridge to satisfy their curiosity.

We don't take a lot with us just some bacon, chicken fillets and the usual milk cheese and cooked meats just so we don't have to think about shopping for a few days. Oh and of course tinned meat for quick easy meals with tinned veg after a long drive.
 
I would just leave it in the fridge & plead ignorance. You do not want them to be thinking that you have deliberately hidden something.

If they are going so far as to open the fridge, they will be having a good look around anyway & will find it.

In the customs eyes it's the difference between smuggling & making a mistake.

If they think you are deliberately hiding stuff expect a full cavity search, thats not just the cavities in the van!
 
To be quit honest, these checks on personal imports for personal consumption are a biological joke. Unless you are an Island nation the best you can do is checks on Unprocessed ingredients or food stuffs unless you have a Bio-Secure border which Europe does not have, let alone the EU. A rabid animal is no respecter of a land border, likewise any disease. If an item is on sale in a country, with comparable food safety standards, is unopened and for personal consumption then there is no biological reason to confiscate it.
Raw, un-processed foodstuffs is a different matter.
Eg; Rabies is endemic in Europe, but not in the UK. Rabies vaccines for pets are for the protection of the UK, not Europe. As far as I am aware there is no legal obligation to have a European dog vaccinated unless it is travelling outside the EU.
 
Am I the only one who is wondering how to secrete from the rozzers at Calais or any other port and keep cold my collection of meat & dairy products when we can travel freely to Europe again and also has anyone experienced any searches at borders or the roadside?

Our European trips usually follow this pattern and as we both still work our trips to the south usually consist of a late sailing then drive for a few hours, some sleep then a long drive the next day usually until 7 or 8pm and then maybe 4 or so hours on day 2 if the destination is Spain or Italy but usually in Southern France we arrive on the first day.

If I have another Cali by then I thought a cool bag at the bottom of the wardrobe may do the trick providing they don't turn us over and maybe some cheap decoy ham in the fridge to satisfy their curiosity.

We don't take a lot with us just some bacon, chicken fillets and the usual milk cheese and cooked meats just so we don't have to think about shopping for a few days. Oh and of course tinned meat for quick easy meals with tinned veg after a long drive.
I got stopped between Andorra and Spain, was accused of being a cigarette smuggler!
Opened the Cali sliding door for them to search van and Zebedee (dog)jumped out, scared the crap out of customs lady and she didn’t bother to search!
I think she thought my cali was just a transporter van not a camper.
 
Am I the only one who is wondering how to secrete from the rozzers at Calais or any other port and keep cold my collection of meat & dairy products when we can travel freely to Europe again and also has anyone experienced any searches at borders or the roadside?

Our European trips usually follow this pattern and as we both still work our trips to the south usually consist of a late sailing then drive for a few hours, some sleep then a long drive the next day usually until 7 or 8pm and then maybe 4 or so hours on day 2 if the destination is Spain or Italy but usually in Southern France we arrive on the first day.

If I have another Cali by then I thought a cool bag at the bottom of the wardrobe may do the trick providing they don't turn us over and maybe some cheap decoy ham in the fridge to satisfy their curiosity.

We don't take a lot with us just some bacon, chicken fillets and the usual milk cheese and cooked meats just so we don't have to think about shopping for a few days. Oh and of course tinned meat for quick easy meals with tinned veg after a long drive.
Change your UK registration plates to French or similar.;)
 
Watch some prison programs...they have some novel ways of smuggling contraband!
 
If you’re seriously worried @Karlos just don’t take the stuff. A minor shop at the first motorway services in France is not a huge inconvenience (and you can get a packet of those lovely chewy fruit sweets they only seem to sell over there).
Or I suppose you could become a Vegan for the duration :)
 
. As far as I am aware there is no legal obligation to have a European dog vaccinated unless it is travelling outside the EU


When you just make stuff up, do you think no one will answer? You could spend 5 minutes doing research before spreading false information about something so important.Screen Shot 2021-06-25 at 12.00.09 PM.png
 
Is it just the French and Dutch that hate us so much? What happens to people coming off the ferry in Spain. Are they searched as much?
 

When you just make stuff up, do you think no one will answer? You could spend 5 minutes doing research before spreading false information about something so important.View attachment 80602
To be honest couldn't be bothered. I knew someone with more time on their hands would relish proving me wrong. What about the other 26 countries in the EU or let's widen it to Europe.
I look forward to your list of European countries that have a legal requirement for all animals that can carry Rabies to have vaccinations on a regular basis.
 
To be honest couldn't be bothered. I knew someone with more time on their hands would relish proving me wrong. What about the other 26 countries in the EU or let's widen it to Europe.
I look forward to your list of European countries that have a legal requirement for all animals that can carry Rabies to have vaccinations on a regular basis.
It's an EU wide requirement controlled with pet passports and microchips. I post on this forum to receive and share reliable information. Sheesh.

 
It's an EU wide requirement controlled with pet passports and microchips. I post on this forum to receive and share reliable information. Sheesh.

Wasn't talking about Travelling with Pets. Sheesh, you need new glasses. Do keep up.
 
no need to smuggle anything if this is still true : https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/dont-take-ham-sandwiches-into-europe.38723/page-5#post-484898
Swiss Cheese said:
Well this page says the UK is 'included' in the rules so the whole ham sandwich thing should not apply when entering the EU from the UK if they are for personal consumption...

At the top it says (my highlights):
View attachment 71747
Well, I just went back and looked at that EU page I referenced earlier, and what do you know? It's changed! Again, my highlights, but UK has been removed now...
Screenshot 2021-01-14 at 15.10.42.png

Perhaps the number of hits it was getting and links from forums meant they felt it had to be updated :rolleyes:

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Does that mean I can take my pet Pig with me but I can’t take a ham sandwich?
Just keep him under control:

 
“Rabies endemic in Europe”

Not aware of any cases of human rabies around here* but there’s a chap in Wales foaming at the mouth who might need a vet…

* Maybe they don’t test for it properly :D
 
“Rabies endemic in Europe”

Not aware of any cases of human rabies around here* but there’s a chap in Wales foaming at the mouth who might need a vet…

* Maybe they don’t test for it properly :D
We eat pigs but sheep that’s a different matter....
 
I don't get why you just can't call at a shop in France. It's not that much hard work and is surely better than worrying about stashing cheese in the wardrobe
 
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