Story By: Georgina Jadikovska, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash
A Taiwanese who sent 200 ‘police standard’ thumb cuffs to kinky sex clients in Germany could be jailed for up to 5 years after they were seized by customs officers as they are classified as dangerous torturing devices – and completely prohibited in the European Union.
Customs officers from the German city of Hamburg revealed on Wednesday (23rd June) that they have confiscated two boxes sent from Taiwan, each of them containing 100 thumb cuffs on March 2021.
The officers reported they were following the Anti-Torture Regulation according to which the use of thumb cuffs is prohibited, as they are considered a torture tool within the European Union.
Thumb cuffs which were originally used by detectives, officers and other law officials have become extremely popular in the BDSM community in recent years.
According to sex ed site Kinkly, thumb cuffs, which are worn below the knuckles to prevent them from slipping off, can restrain a submissive partner’s hands in front of the body or behind the back for even greater restraint.
Kinkly also reported that some S&M fanatics, especially in some Asian countries, even use the sex toys as toe cuffs for restraining the big toes and keeping them close together.
Nevertheless, German customs had a different opinion and confiscated the two packages which boasted that the thumb cuffs were “designed for police use”.
Press spokesperson Oliver Bachmann from the Hamburg Customs said: “A lot of things that should be used only in the security industry were listed in the declaration.”
He added: “Some of these belongings were clearly described as thumb cuffs. My colleagues alerted me immediately about this and we ordered an inspection.”
The city of Hamburg Public Prosecutor’s Office is currently conducting further investigations against the importer from Taiwan who has not been named.
If the public prosecutor concludes the importer has violated the Anti-Torture Regulation they could be sentenced to up to five years imprisonment.
