Belarusian customs and border officials have thwarted an attempt to export armoured vehicle components to EU countries. Four Belarusian citizens have been detained.
According to the State Customs Committee, the suspects, acting in collusion with unidentified individuals, transported engines, engine blocks, transmissions and related components from Russia that are used in the production of tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and airborne combat vehicles.
In Minsk, labels were removed from the parts, external equipment was dismantled, the components were repainted, and markings in Chinese characters were applied. The parts were then presented as Chinese-made engines for power generation units.
“The modified goods were subsequently placed under the export procedure for shipment to the territory of the European Union.
Officers of the Operational Customs unit stopped two trucks carrying 24 modified ‘Chinese engines’, after which urgent investigative actions and operational search measures were carried out jointly with border service personnel and Brest customs officers,” the State Customs Committee said.
Authorities conducted 22 searches, during which 200 weapons components and $100,000 in cash were seized.
“Criminal cases have been opened under Part 2 of Article 333-1 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus. The suspects were detained under Article 108 of the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Belarus, and two of them have been remanded in custody,” the State Customs Committee added.
