German Customs confiscates 90kg of Dubai chocolate from woman

Travellers are often required to declare any items they intend to sell. Photo / Getty Images

Delighted by flavours abroad, it’s no surprise travellers often bring edible souvenirs home to friends and family. However, one woman’s sweet keepsakes proved too much for German Customs to swallow.

Officials at Hamburg airport confiscated 90kg of luxury chocolate from a 33-year-old woman flying in from Dubai last month.

The woman had not declared her 460 bars of chocolate, which weighed 200g each and were packed between three suitcases.

She had allegedly paid €4.60 ($8.45) per bar, so her total stash was worth almost $4000, Reuters reported.

Customs believed that rather than being a generous friend eager to share lots of chocolate with friends and family, she intended to sell it and was trying to avoid hundreds of euros in import duties.

She would have likely made good money had she sold them. The bars were the “viral” Dubai chocolate bars that exploded in popularity on TikTok last year. Filled with pistachios, tahini paste and crispy shredded filo pastry, the little bars typically sell for $46 in Germany, Reuters reported.

Customs officials did not reveal the brand of the chocolate bars but said they could not find any ingredients or allergy information on the packaging, which created a health risk.

“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,” the office said.

The woman was not arrested but will be investigated for potential tax evasion, while the bars must be destroyed or re-exported.

What is the viral Dubai chocolate bar?

The original FIX Dubai Chocolate bars were created in Dubai and can only be purchased there. FIX’s founder Sarah Hamouda was inspired to create the bar in 2021 and named it “Can’t Get Knafeh of It”. The product went viral in 2024 after a video of someone eating it gained popularity.

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First time trying the viral Dubai chocolate bar 📍Nuts Factory, NYC #dubaichocolatebar #chocolate #homeadechocolate #dessert #viralfoods #chocolatebar #belgiumchocolate #dubaichocolate #milkchocolate #pistachiocream

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The milk chocolate bar’s fillings are inspired by the Middle Eastern dessert knafeh, which is made of kataifi (a sweet crispy pastry) and layers of filling such as pistachio, cream and cheese.

New Zealand jumped on the trend, with several chocolatiers offering versions of the viral Dubai chocolate bar, including House of Chocolate, Miann Patisserie and WhiskedCreationsbyNiki.