Brest customs officers stopped an attempt to illegally move a large amount of cash across the customs border. The incident occurred while an international bus service was being processed at the Brest border checkpoint.
The inspector’s attention was drawn to the bus driver, a Belarusian citizen. The man declared only a small amount of personal cash, but a search of his pockets and underwear uncovered more than $32,000.
It was established that the driver had agreed to help a Ukrainian citizen who was traveling on the same bus transport the cash. The passenger had hidden another more than $10,000 among his personal belongings. The total amount therefore exceeded $42,000 in equivalent.
Brest Customs opened a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 228 of the Criminal Code of Belarus. The article carries a penalty of up to five years in prison.
