A Kosovo citizen attempted to bring a large quantity of wristwatches into the European Union, but customs officers discovered them during an intensified inspection. Due to suspicions of trademark counterfeiting, an additional procedure has been initiated.
Customs officers at the Karasovići Border Customs Office thwarted an attempt to bring 43 undeclared wristwatches into the customs territory of the European Union on August 7, 2026. The watches were found in a travel suitcase on the back seat of a passenger vehicle with Croatian license plates, driven by a Kosovo citizen with approved residence in Croatia.
Due to the committed offense, the driver was issued a misdemeanor order and fined €6,000, in accordance with Article 63, Paragraph 1, Item 3 of the Law on the Implementation of EU Customs Legislation. In addition to the financial penalty, a protective measure was imposed to confiscate the goods that were the subject of the offense.
The case, however, did not end solely with the confiscation of the watches and the payment of the fine. The competent authorities have initiated further proceedings because there is reasonable suspicion that some of the watches bore unauthorized trademarks of protected brands. In other words, it is suspected that they were used without the approval of the intellectual property rights holders.
This incident is yet another in a series demonstrating that intensified customs controls at Croatian borders regularly result in the seizure of undeclared goods. The Customs Administration warns that attempting to conceal or fail to declare goods can lead to significantly more severe consequences for travelers than just the confiscation of items, including hefty fines and additional legal proceedings.
