to confiscate
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to confiscate
To officially take possession of something (e.g., objects, property) on behalf of an authority such as the police or customs. This often happens as a punishment or to secure evidence.
Der Zoll hat die gefälschten Markenartikel am Flughafen beschlagnahmt.
Customs confiscated the counterfeit branded goods at the airport.
'Beschlagnahmen' (to confiscate) is an inseparable verb because it begins with the prefix 'be-'. The prefix remains firmly attached to the verb in all sentence forms and tenses.
Die Polizei beschlagnahmte die gestohlene Ware.
The police confiscated the stolen goods.
In its official meaning, 'beschlagnahmen' (to confiscate) is very often used in the passive. The subject is then the object that is being taken away.
Sein Führerschein wurde sofort von der Polizei beschlagnahmt.
His driver's license was immediately confiscated by the police.
You can recognize this meaning by the fact that the acting institution is an authority (e.g., police, customs, court) and the object is an item or property.
Das Gericht ordnete an, die Computer zu beschlagnahmen.
The court ordered the computers to be confiscated.
In the figurative meaning, the subject is often a task or a project, and the object is a person. It is often intensified with adverbs like 'völlig' (completely) or 'total' (totally).
Die Vorbereitung auf die Prüfung hat mich die ganze Woche völlig beschlagnahmt.
Preparing for the exam completely occupied me the whole week.
to secure / save
'sichern' and 'beschlagnahmen' can both occur in contexts involving the police, customs, or evidence. In this sense, 'sichern' means that traces or evidence are collected and preserved so they can be examined later. 'beschlagnahmen' means that an authority officially takes something away or takes possession of it. Learners may confuse the words because, for example, the police can secure or confiscate a knife as evidence. The difference is: with 'sichern', the focus is on preserving evidence; with 'beschlagnahmen', it is on the official removal of an object.
Am Flughafen beschlagnahmt der Zoll eine Tasche mit verbotenen Waren.
At the airport, customs confiscates a bag containing prohibited goods.
Die Polizei sichert am Tatort mehrere Spuren.
The police secure several pieces of evidence at the crime scene.