At Domodedovo Airport, customs officers seized 446 precious and semi-precious stones hidden in the luggage and clothing of a 54-year-old foreign national arriving from Uzbekistan. Source: FCS Russia.
The passenger was stopped in the green channel. X-ray of his suitcase showed 32 green stones; he then produced another 313 minerals of various shapes and colours plus a metal plate from his jeans pockets, and a zip-lock bag with 101 more stones was found in his underwear.
He said the gems were samples for his jewellery firm and that he had not known a declaration was required.
Experts identified the plate as 960-fineness silver and the minerals as emeralds, apatites, tourmalines and synthetic moissanites worth RUB 2.5 million in total.
A criminal case was opened under Article 226.1(1) of the Russian Criminal Code (illegal movement of strategically important resources on a large scale). The court sentenced him to 10 months’ imprisonment in a settlement colony.
