Customs officers found more than 700 dressed sable and mink pelts in six parcels bound for Shenyang, China, the FCS Russia press office said. Central Postal Customs staff detected the fur sewn into jacket linings instead of insulation; the illegal shipment is valued at seven million roubles.
The parcels contained 12 winter coats, each with 50 to 70 pelts of wild mustelids in various colours and sizes. Declarations listed cotton clothing.
Expert examination confirmed the fur is a strategically important resource that may be exported only with customs declaration and permits.
The organiser was a foreign furrier at a Moscow fur atelier who used nominee names, phones and accounts. A search of a rented flat uncovered thousands of sable and mink pelts intended for shipment to China for coat production and later return to Russia for sale.
Three criminal cases were opened under Article 226.1(1) of the Criminal Code. The suspect was placed under a travel restriction; investigative steps continue.
