Hamburg, Germany – It was supposed to be a high-end piano shipment, but instead of music, customs officers in Bremen uncovered a massive 120-kilogram marijuana haul hidden inside. The bizarre smuggling attempt has now landed two men in court, where they were sentenced for their involvement in the operation.
 

The international smuggling ring behind the operation came up with a creative cover story—they forged documents to make it appear as though they had purchased an expensive piano in New York and were shipping it to Hamburg. But instead of hammers and strings, the crate was filled with 373 tightly packed bundles of marijuana, perfectly matching the weight of a real piano.
 

When the German customs office in Bremen inspected the shipment, officers quickly saw through the scheme. Instead of seizing the drugs immediately, they swapped them out for another heavy material and let the package continue its journey to its final destination—a warehouse in Hamburg-Niendorf. Playing their part in the undercover operation, a disguised customs officer personally delivered the "piano" to the intended recipients. The unsuspecting smugglers signed for the package—only to be arrested on the spot.

The court concluded that the two men, aged 34 and 43, were low-level players in a larger criminal organization. “The real masterminds set you up to take the fall,” the judge remarked, making it clear that the key figures behind the operation remain at large.

The two defendants, who had been paid €5,000 for their role, received different sentences: one was sentenced to two and a half years in prison, while the other escaped with a suspended sentence.