94 criminal proceedings opened this year for violation of sanctions against Russia and Belarus - Zukuls

RIGA - The State Revenue Service (VID) has initiated 94 criminal proceedings this year for violation of sanctions against Russia and Belarus, said Raimonds Zukuls,VID deputy director general in an interview to the Latvian Television on Monday.

He also pointed out that more than 300 criminal proceedings have been initiated so far for violation of sanctions against Russia and Belarus.

According to Zukuls, the number of criminal proceedings opened this year for violation of sanctions against Russia and Belarus is likely to slightly exceed last year's.

He also pointed out that in 2023, more than 2,170 customs procedures were suspended for exports and imports throughout the year, while the number of suspended customs procedures so far this year has already exceeded 2,400. "The number of cases we have detected is not decreasing," Zukuls noted.

He said that in exports to Russia and Belarus, the most frequently prevented cases were attempts to export cars, tractors, electrical equipment and various appliances, while from Russia and Belarus the most frequently prevented cases were attempts to import wooden products, animal feed and metal products.

"This potential fraud is carried out by changing the country of origin or misrepresenting the country of origin of the goods," added Zukuls.

He also pointed out that the amount of smuggled cigarettes detected this year is about three times higher than last year, which is also due to the fact that some large cases of smuggled cigarettes have been detected this year. This year, customs officials also prevented significant shipments of hashish to Russia.

He also mentioned that a new trend has emerged - illegal cigarettes produced in the European Union.