Vitebsk customs officers stopped the smuggling of art valuables worth Br360 million
Vitebsk customs officers stopped the smuggling of art objects worth almost Br360 million, BELTA was informed by the Vitebsk customs.
Employees of the operational search department of the Vitebsk customs detained a Volvo car at the entrance to the territory of Belarus, which was heading to Russia with a cargo that was listed in the documents as "antiques in assortment". During the inspection, items not declared in the accompanying documents were found in the car, including paintings by contemporary Russian artist V. Khoroshilov "Orpheus" and "Orpheus and Eurydice", made for a client in Paris. Also, furniture items and their parts, lamps, etc. were being smuggled. The total value of the detained cargo is about Br359.4 million.
"According to the conclusions of experts from the regional museum of local lore, the detained items represent artistic, cultural and historical value. The cultural institution petitioned the customs to transfer some of the items to the museum's collections," the customs reported. The final decision on the further fate of the valuables will be made by the court, to which the case materials have been sent.