This was reported by the press service of the Siberian Customs Administration.
“Irkutsk customs instituted two criminal cases on the smuggling of softwood and hardwood lumber to China, as well as on violations of currency legislation related to the failure to take measures to return from abroad foreign currency funds in a particularly large amount for delivered wood,” in a statement.
It is noted that customs officers found that the Irkutsk timber export company, under a contract with the Manchurian Trade and Economic Company, from December 2017 to April 2018 filed 35 export declarations for the export of lumber to China worth more than 31 million rubles. During the audit, it was found that the company submitted false documents for wood of unknown origin in order to mislead the customs service and take the goods abroad.
“In addition, it was also established that foreign currency receipts totaling more than 87.7 million rubles were not received in the accounts of Russian banks (within the time period stipulated by the foreign economic contract concluded between the Irkutsk and Manchurian firms,” the department said.
Earlier, law enforcement authorities in Siberia detained two local residents suspected of large-scale smuggling of timber from Russia abroad.
In October, Irkutsk Customs opened a criminal investigation into smuggling of lumber to Afghanistan.
On June 6, in Moscow, FSB officers detained Sergey Sheverda, the Minister of Forestry of the Irkutsk Region. He is suspected of abuse of power. According to law enforcement agencies, he authorized illegal logging on an area of 120 hectares in the Tukolon nature reserve. The amount of damage is estimated at 748 million rubles.
More details in the material RT.