Chinese Andorra Resident Detained for Smuggling €150K Undeclared Luxury Goods

A 47-year-old Chinese resident of Andorra was detained Tuesday afternoon at the Runer river border crossing after customs officers discovered she had entered without declaring luxury goods valued between 130,000 and 150,000 euros. She was released the next morning on prosecutor's office orders and must appear before a judge when summoned.

Driving a Porsche Cayenne, the woman—who has lived in Andorra for three years—was stopped by an Andorran customs agent. She initially denied having items to declare, presenting two invoices totaling 3,049 euros. A vehicle search revealed far more: an 80,000-euro ring, at least three Louis Vuitton handbags (one valued at 3,300 euros), high-end designer clothing, shoes, and possibly a watch. She had claimed tax-free status on the items at Spanish customs to avoid VAT but failed to report them in Andorra, dodging the 4.5% general IGI tax amounting to roughly 6,750 euros.

Andorran rules mandate declaring imports over 300 euros to avoid fines, with values exceeding 75,000 euros and fraudulent intent classified as a minor socio-economic offence. Police took custody after customs referral, charging her with such an offence and potential smuggling for evading controls. Penalties include up to three years in prison and fines up to four times the defrauded sum.

Authorities kept her overnight in police facilities before Wednesday's release. They have not ruled out probing prior undeclared imports. Officials highlight that such practices, common with discreet items like luxury jewelry and watches, erode fiscal equity, skew competition, and harm reputations with tax bodies and the public.