Customs officers detained in Moscow members of an organized crime group who were illegally importing jewelry from abroad into Russia for resale, RBC reports, citing a message from the Federal Customs Service.
Customs officers at the capital’s Sheremetyevo airport detained a 34-year-old Russian man who arrived on a Dubai-Moscow flight. In his luggage they found jewelry made of white and yellow gold with inserts of emeralds, diamonds and sapphires. “Inspectors discovered jewelry worth 23 million rubles hidden from customs control. There are a total of six pairs of earrings, seven necklaces, three rings, three bracelets and two chains with pendants,” the Federal Customs Service said.
Later, two more participants were detained – a 53-year-old Russian woman, whom customs named as the organizer of the group, and her accomplice, a 37-year-old citizen of Kazakhstan. Searches were conducted at their places of residence, including in elite cottage villages, and objects, documents and electronic media were confiscated. A criminal case was initiated under the article on smuggling committed by a criminal group (Part 3 of Article 226.1 of the Criminal Code). The maximum penalty under this article is imprisonment for a term of up to 12 years. Two defendants were taken into custody, one was sent under house arrest.
Source: Rosbalt
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