Doping seizures at customs have increased for the fifth year in a row, according to the Ministry of Taxation. In 2024, customs officials prevented 1,833 attempts to smuggle doping substances into the country and seized over 205,000 pills and ampoules, in addition to 40 kilograms of raw materials used in doping production.

Last year’s figures represent a significant increase compared to 2023, when 1,375 smuggling attempts were thwarted, and 153,284 pills and ampoules were confiscated.

Minister of Taxation Rasmus Stoklund (S) expressed concern about the rising trend, stating, “Unfortunately, an incredible number of people are ruining their bodies and lives because they take doping. Therefore, it is also deeply worrying that we are seeing more and more of it being attempted to be smuggled into Denmark year after year. We must put a stop to this.”

The majority of the seized doping substances were discovered in mail and packages, suggesting that they were primarily intended for personal use, according to the Tax Agency.

The Ministry of Taxation is now exploring options for enhancing the control of incoming packages in response to the growing number of seizures. Stoklund explained, “We see a trend where more and more packages are generally arriving in Denmark. Some of them contain goods that we do not want to cross our borders, such as doping, weapons, or drugs.”

“Therefore, I am investigating how we can give the Customs Agency the best possible conditions to meet this new reality, where the control of packages is becoming a larger and more important task than ever, so that we continue to take good care of Denmark,” Stoklund added.

In the most significant doping seizure of 2024, customs officials confiscated 14,000 pills that had been ordered online and shipped from Germany. Once doping substances are seized by the Customs Agency, they are handed over to the police for further investigation and potential charges.