It is reported by the Federal Customs Service.
“Employees of the Chita Customs together with law enforcement agencies of the Trans-Baikal Territory stopped the activities of a criminal group that exported over 113 thousand cubic meters of timber worth more than 800 million rubles to China in 2014-2018,” the statement said.
According to the agency, the timber was illegally procured in the Trans-Baikal Territory and Buryatia, and after this smuggling was exported to another country, providing customs documents with false information.
It is noted that during the searches, investigators found 20 thousand cubic meters of timber, the origin of which has not been established.
“On the fact of smuggling of strategically important resources against four members of the criminal group and a number of unidentified persons, 11 criminal cases were initiated under part 3 of Art. 226.1 of the Criminal Code of Russia, ”added the department.
Earlier, two criminal cases were instituted by the Irkutsk Customs regarding the smuggling of lumber in China on a large scale.
In November, law enforcement agencies in Siberia detained two local residents suspected of large-scale smuggling of timber from Russia abroad.
In October, Irkutsk Customs opened a criminal case over the 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.
Details are in the material RT.