Markus Bitzer

Career

22 years of experience in customs, 17 of them with the customs administration and 15 with the Customs Investigation Service (Zollfahndung) in various fields of investigation. Since 2021 he has advised companies, law firms and tax advisers on customs law and export control.

Export · Customs Criminological Office (Zollkriminalamt), Cologne

• Leading investigations for the Federal Public Prosecutor General (Generalbundesanwalt)
• Prevention and prosecution of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems
• Analyst in export control
• Introduction of the EU export security rules in ATLAS (security risk analysis)

Import · Customs Investi­gation Office (Zollfahndungsamt) Essen, Cologne branch

• Leading extensive investigations with post-clearance recovery of import duties in the millions
• Prosecution of tax evasion following customs audits, procedural errors or misconduct
• Combating large-scale and professional smuggling

Money laundering · Joint Financial Investi­gation Group Police/Customs at the State Criminal Police Office (LKA) of North Rhine-Westphalia

• International customs investigations in the fields of organised crime and money laundering
• Investigations based on suspicious transaction reports in all fields of crime

Today

Advising companies, law firms and tax advisers on customs law and export control. Regular speaker and lecturer.

Areas of expertise

• Customs law
• Customs audits
• Customs investigations
• Export control
• Dual-use
• Embargoes and sanctions
• Customs value and import duties
• Tariff classification
• Origin of goods and preferences
• Administrative fine and criminal proceedings
• Searches
• Analysis of criminal case files
• Money laundering
• Training and talks

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