The woman was selected for a customs check upon arrival from Istanbul. She was wearing a Cartier bracelet worth around 100,000 SEK, and customs found a Rolex watch in its box valued at 700,000 SEK, Celine shoes worth over 20,000 SEK, and Chanel boots worth 18,000 SEK in her luggage. The total value exceeded one million SEK. She did not declare the items despite the high value.
She was prosecuted for customs offenses and sentenced to 29,000 SEK in fines. She must also pay 500,000 SEK for the fees she avoided, but she gets to keep her items. Chief Judge Patrik Claeson explained that the court can either take the items or forfeit a value proportional to the evaded customs duties and VAT. Taking the items would have been too high relative to the crime. The court calculated the evaded fees at around 250,000 SEK, which was doubled to 500,000 SEK.
We will review the verdict more carefully but at first glance we can say that we do not share the district court's assessment and the verdict will likely be appealed.
The woman stated she had been in Turkey for four months, her boyfriend lives there, and most items were gifts, including the Rolex as a New Year's present. She said she did not check the rules because she considers both Sweden and Turkey her home and uses the items personally. According to Göteborgs-Posten, she described the Rolex as a surprise present bought on December 30. She also said she had not thought about customs because she lives in both countries. Her lawyer, Felix Kristoffersson, said they do not share the court's assessment and will likely appeal.
Goods purchased outside the EU were worth approximately 850,000 SEK, and the rest were purchased within the EU.
Traditionally you buy New Year's presents for each other, they don't celebrate Christmas there. This was a 'type' of Christmas present for New Year. You can see on the receipt it was bought on December 30, it was a surprise present, nothing I chose.
Since I live in both countries, I have never thought about it and they are things I take back and forth, they are my private things. So I haven't thought about customs or VAT on them. I am a citizen of both countries.