Woman has 90kg of Dubai kunafa chocolate confiscated at German airport

A woman arriving at Hamburg airport had 90kg of luxury Dubai kunafa chocolate confiscated last month by German customs officials because it was subject to hundreds of euros in import duties.

The chocolate bars, made popular on social media, are filled with pistachios and shredded filo pastry. People queue for hours to buy the confectionery, which sells in Germany for about €25 ($25.76) each.

The 33-year-old woman distributed the 460 200-gram bars among three suitcases and failed to declare them. She told officials she paid €4.60 for each of them, an official for German customs said on Wednesday.

The confiscated bars, whose brand was not specified, must now be re-exported or destroyed.

Based on the quantity imported, officials said they believed the bars, valued in total at about €2,100, were meant for commercial sale.

“In addition to the potential tax evasion for the evaded import duties of over €330, customs in this case is primarily concerned with protecting the health of citizens in Germany,” officials added.

Customs officials could not find any information about the ingredients or allergens on the bars' packaging, meaning customers could potentially face a health risk, they said.

The woman, who was not arrested, will be investigated for possible tax evasion charges, a customs official confirmed.