Customs in such cases checks both the authenticity of the branded goods and compliance with the species protection law on animal hides like crocodile or ostrich. Both can mean retention of the goods and a criminal procedure. If both points are clarified, the goods are valued and import and value-added tax (together about 20 per cent) are levied on the estimated value. For crocodile and alligator leather a CITES species protection certificate is mandatorily required, which must be applied for before export; subsequent application is not possible. Even with proven genuine branded goods the shipment is not released without CITES papers, and an administrative offence may be imposed. The buyer bears the risk alone, since these requirements often do not emerge from the article description.