Customs officers of the Central Post Office Customs in the capital successfully completed an operation intercepting a large shipment of jewelry that a foreign citizen was attempting to smuggle into China.
Details of Detention and Discovery
The smuggler was detained at the moment he was sending another international postal item (IPO). According to the customs declaration, the box was supposed to contain exclusively “candies and chocolate.” However, inspectors, guided by risk profiling, conducted a thorough inspection, which resulted in the discovery of over 150 items made of precious metals. The assortment included bracelets, pendants, earrings, rings, and, significantly, a large number of Orthodox body crosses.
The Economics of Smuggling
Subsequent expertise established that the total market value of the seized jewelry exceeds 1 million 200 thousand rubles. During interrogation, the detainee confirmed that all goods were purchased in legitimate jewelry stores in Moscow. The purpose of this systematic activity was the resale of the jewelry in the PRC, where, as practice shows, the markup on exclusive Russian goods can be extremely high.
Discussion of Specifics
This case underscores the specifics of smuggling small but expensive goods: the use of IPOs allows a large consignment to be broken down into many smaller parcels, reducing the risk of losing the entire cargo at once. However, it was precisely the discrepancy between the declared value and weight (sweets versus precious metals) that drew the attention of customs analysts.
A criminal case has been initiated against the foreigner. Given the nature of the crime and his confession, the court chose a restrictive measure in the form of a signed undertaking not to leave the country. The Customs service continues its work to identify all participants in this scheme aimed at the illegal export of religious attributes.