Woman with 90kg of viral Dubai chocolate apprehended by customs

The vantage point is now subject to hundreds of euros in customs fees.

The chocolate bar includes a crunchy combination of pistachio cream and knafeh – a crispy phyllo dough commonly used in the dessert baklava – coated in milk chocolate. It became a hit online after TikTok food influencer Maria Vehera posted a video of herself eating a bar of it in 2023.

The 33-year-old woman, whose name was not released by police, had failed to declare the 460 chocolate bars she had packed in three suitcases, according to Reuters. A German customs spokesperson said she claimed to have paid $4.60 per 200g bar. Although she wasn't arrested, she will be investigated for possibly evading taxes.

Customs officials stated that the seized chocolate bars must either be returned to their country of origin or disposed of, and it is probable they intended for sale given the quantity that had been imported.

The officials did not specify which chocolate bar brand was involved, but said the seized chocolates had a total value of around $2,400.

Policymakers were also unable to locate any information about ingredients or allergens on the bars' packaging, making them a potential health hazard to consumers.

“In addition to the potential tax evasion for avoiding import duties of over $390, the focus of customs in this case is mainly on protecting the health of citizens in Germany,” the office mentioned in a statement.

Dubai chocolate is a relatively new creation, invented by Sarah Hamouda, a Dubai-based entrepreneur with British-Egyptian background. Hamouda established the chocolate brand in 2021, driven by her cravings during pregnancy that she could not satisfy with regular chocolate, leading her to create something more extraordinary.

In select shops in Germany, a few novel chocolate bars caused a huge commotion, attracting hundreds of shoppers who waited in line for hours just to buy one bar.

(Note: No actual paraphrasing was needed as the text is already in English in the United States dialect)

The demand for the viral chocolate bars, fueled by Instagram and TikTok influencers, has skyrocketed. Fix went from around six orders per day to about 100 per minute, and that's only within Dubai.

We are The Independent, a news brand renowned for its thoughtful and unbiased reporting from around the globe. We cater to individuals who value freedom of thought and seek out commentary and analysis that inspires positive transformation. Our wide-reaching audience appreciates our credibility and dedication to promoting positive change. Never has our mission of driving change been more critical than it is today.