"The Customs Authority is taking coercive measures against individuals without legal support. This is, of course, not acceptable. The Customs Authority must review how the controls are carried out and ensure that the measures are lawful", says the Parliamentary Ombudsman (PO) Per Lennerbrant in a press release.
The PO has on its own initiative investigated whether the Customs Authority in its control activities at the border to another EU country has the right to carry out protective searches, detain travelers at vehicle checks in arrest-like forms, and seize belongings. The conclusion is that the authority does not have the necessary powers.
The PO will now send its decision to the government for information.
