Riga Airport seizing growing volumes of banned food and medicines from travelers
Riga Airport is reporting a rising number of banned food products and medicines being confiscated from travelers arriving from non-EU countries, with authorities urging people to check import rules before buying souvenirs abroad. Nearly seven tonnes of food were seized and destroyed last year alone.
As the summer travel season continues, Riga Airport is seeing more cases of passengers having banned food items and medicines confiscated after bringing them in from countries outside the European Union. Authorities are urging travelers to check import rules before purchasing items abroad, since violations can mean losing the goods, having them confiscated, or facing a penalty.
Food that endangers animals
Meat and dairy products, as well as fresh vegetables and fruit, may not be brought into Latvia from third countries. Last year alone, nearly seven tonnes of such food were confiscated and destroyed at Riga Airport. If a passenger voluntarily surrenders a banned item, no penalty applies, but a dispute with customs officers can lead to an administrative violation report. A representative of the Food and Veterinary Service explains that the restrictions exist to prevent animal diseases and pests from entering Latvia, which can spread through both domestic and wild animals and birds.
Dangerous medicines
Travelers increasingly try to bring sedatives and sleeping pills from Egypt and Turkey, often unaware that these contain psychotropic substances banned in Latvia. A representative of the State Revenue Service's customs police notes that some of these medicines contain eszopiclone, and that Corvalol can also cause problems since it sometimes contains a banned substance. Over the past two years, 23 criminal proceedings have been launched over the importation of substances containing eszopiclone.
Unusual souvenirs and protected species
Customs officers regularly find unusual items in luggage, including bottles of alcohol containing snakes, seashells, coral, crocodile-leather goods, and cosmetics containing parts of protected species. Even crocodile-leather items bought legally long ago may only be brought across the border with an origin document, declared at border control. These rules stem from the Washington Convention (CITES), which protects roughly 40,000 plant and animal species.
