A separate series of controls along Bavaria’s border with the Czech Republic uncovered a worrying cache of illegal weapons, the regional news portal Onetz reported on 12 October. Between Friday evening and Sunday, officers from the Waidhaus and Waldsassen detachments found six violations of Germany’s Weapons Act, including brass knuckles, a telescopic baton and a stun gun that were stowed “griffbereit” (within immediate reach) inside private vehicles. In the most serious case, a 21-year-old driver entering on the A6 was arrested after officers discovered three prohibited weapons concealed next to the driver’s seat. The individual now faces fines and up to five years’ imprisonment under §52 WaffG. All weapons were confiscated and forwarded to the Bavarian State Criminal Police Office for forensic tracing. The seizures come amid a broader uptick in weapons offences detected at Germany’s eastern borders. Federal Police statistics show a 23 % year-on-year rise in 2026, fuelled in part by online purchases of self-defence devices that are legal in neighbouring countries but banned in Germany. The Interior Ministry is drafting amendments that would oblige e-commerce platforms to geo-block sales of such devices to German addresses. For cross-border commuters and corporates operating fleet vehicles the message is clear: articles that are freely sold in Prague petrol stations may constitute a criminal offence once you cross into Bavaria. Mobility policies should include a checklist of banned items and explicit instructions for drivers. Logistics firms risk vehicle impoundment and cargo delays if contraband is found during spot checks. While the incidents did not disrupt traffic flow, the publicity surrounding them is likely to reinforce political calls for extending temporary border controls beyond their current expiry in March 2027.
Source: Onetz
