More than 8 million contraband cigarettes seized by Vitebsk customs

November 19, Minsk /BELTA/. Vitebsk customs has seized over 8 million contraband cigarettes. This was reported to BELTA by the press service of the State Customs Committee of Belarus. The seizure occurred at the "Polotsk" railway station during the implementation of operational information from the contraband department. In a railway car bound for Latvia, according to the accompanying documents, "peat-based fuel briquettes" were supposed to be delivered to the neighboring republic. However, the information available to customs operatives indicated that the car would contain contraband cigarettes intended for illegal circulation in the European Union countries. The results of the customs inspection confirmed the information: in the car, within the total mass of the transported cargo, there were 38 pallets, on which, among the peat briquettes, 8,360,000 cigarettes of Russian production "MORE" and "JIN LING" were found. Based on this fact of illegal movement of tobacco products across the customs border of Belarus, Vitebsk customs has initiated administrative proceedings. Upon completion, the materials of the administrative case will be sent to court. -0-