State Customs authorities of the Republic of Belarus
23 January 2024
Brest customs officers have revealed a criminal scheme for the import of a large batch of medicines restricted to movement across the customs border of the EAEU. Customs officers found 378 packages of the medical drug OZEMPIC in the trunk of an AUDI car driven by a citizen of Belarus. The vehicle, which was heading to Russia, was stopped for inspection during a special event on one of the sections of the M-1 highway.
The organizer of the scheme turned out to be a 56-year-old citizen of the Russian Federation. He "distributed" medicines in Poland to various individuals. Citizens moved them through the Brest checkpoint under the guise of goods for personal use. A 54-year-old Brest resident was involved in the search for such individuals. He also collected and stored OZEMPIC at his place of residence.
According to the commodity expertise, the value of the discovered goods amounted to about 570 thousand bel. rubles.
The Brest Interdistrict Department of the Investigative Committee on the materials of the Brest Customs opened a criminal case on the grounds of a crime under Part 3 of Article 228 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus (smuggling committed by a group of persons). The sanction of the article provides for punishment up to imprisonment for up to ten years.
Persons suspected of committing a crime have been detained in accordance with article 108 of the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Belarus.
Based on the materials of the Brest Customs
