The Belarusian Investigative Center, with the support of the “Workers’ Movement” (Rabochy Ruch) and the “CyberPartisans”, has published an investigation into a scheme for supplying Chinese motorcycles to Russia via Belarus.
According to the BIC, enduro motorcycles worth several thousand dollars each entered Russia via Belarus at undervalued prices. In one shipment, about 100 motorcycles were declared at $200 each, in another at $80 each, and in a third at $60 each. Understating the price made it possible to reduce customs payments.
The motorcycles were supplied through Brandshandel. Its head, Andrei Feaktsistau, previously worked at Matavela and also spent almost 10 years working for companies linked to the inner circle of Viktar Sheiman. Other Brandshandel employees also worked for legal entities linked to Sheiman.
According to the BIC, motorcycles with a declared value of $3 million were imported via Belarus over two years. The actual value of the goods could have been several times higher.
Investigators believe that the profits may not have remained solely in Belarus. Motorcycle buyers transferred money not only to the Belarusian re-exporter but also to the Swiss company Erop Group AG, which was also involved in the motorcycle scheme. The BIC identified almost $1.7 million in such payments in 2024.
The authors of the investigation note that importing motorcycles at undervalued prices not only enriched those involved in the scheme but also created additional competition for Belarusian manufacturer Matavela.
The full investigation is available on the BIC website.