According to an FCS Russia press release, Sochi customs officers found a large cache of smuggled cigarettes in the roof of a coach that arrived at the Adler checkpoint from Abkhazia.
The vehicle was held for inspection following a tip about possible illegal movement of goods and scanned with a mobile inspection complex. A concealed compartment in the upper part of the roof held 64,000 packs of Abkhaz-made cigarettes without excise stamps, valued at RUB 8.7 million.
A criminal case was opened under subparagraph “v”, Article 226.1(2) of the Criminal Code (large-scale smuggling of tobacco by an organised group). The offence carries up to ten years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to RUB 1 million.
The goods and coach were seized. The operation was conducted jointly with the Krasnodar Territory office of the Federal Security Service of Russia.
