High prices for such items as tobacco, liquor and meat have long tempted Norwegians to carry home more than their tax-free quotas allow. Now a smuggler has been caught trying to bring in excessive quantities of fresh vegetables.
A 33-year-old Swede was stopped by customs officials while driving off the ferry from Strömstad in Sandefjord on Tuesday. They found 310 kilos (682 pounds) of fresh produce in his baggage. Most vegetables, especially tomatoes, are much cheaper in Sweden than Norway.
The man claimed the vegetables were meant to be a wedding gift, but that didn’t spur any sympathy from the customs officers.
They fined him NOK 3,000 (nearly USD 500) and confiscated the entire load, operations leader Einar Paulsen of the Vestfold Police District told the website for Østlands-Posten.
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