Bus company smuggling prohibited goods to Russia via Estonia, Latvia - Finnish publication

  • 2025-01-28
  • LETA/BNS/TBT Staff

TALLINN - According to the Finnish publication Uutissuomalainen, a bus company traveling from Tallinn and Riga to Russia is smuggling goods subject to sanctions through the Luhamaa border crossing point, the Estonian daily Postimees writes.

The publication was contacted by one of the bus drivers from the bus company, who requested anonymity and said that the smuggling was taking place with the full knowledge of the company. The company in question is not clear from the article.

The bus driver claimed that the company receives significant sums of money for smuggling the goods. In addition, the drivers receive a small commission. According to him, the bus travels via the Luhamaa border crossing point to St. Petersburg, where the goods are unloaded, with minimal border controls and Russian customs officials taking bribes.

The goods are loaded onto the buses in Tallinn and Riga. The goods also come from Finland and have included products from Finnish companies. According to the driver, most of the goods are spare parts for buses and trucks. There were also items such as computers and smartphones, and even spare parts for airplanes.

The worst thing, according to the driver, is that bus drivers are forced to transport contraband, whether they want to or not.