12 December, Vitebsk /BELTA correspondent/. Two tonnes of contraband clothing and leather goods did not make it to the New Year sales in the Customs Union, the Vitebsk customs office informed a BELTA correspondent. During a special customs operation conducted by officers of the operational-search department of the Vitebsk customs office on the M1 highway Brest-Minsk-Russian Federation border, upon entry into the Russian Federation, a Renault vehicle driven by a citizen of Belarus, travelling from Poland to Russia, was stopped. During customs inspection, in addition to legally transported second-hand clothing, undeclared goods were discovered – new clothing, bags, and belts of various assortments, weighing approximately 2 tonnes. The goods, with a preliminary estimated value of Br1.2 billion, have been seized. An investigation is underway. Customs officers believe that such violations pursue several goals. Firstly, to reduce the amount of customs duties payable, as the amount of customs duties on new clothing is 4-6 times higher than that on used clothing. Secondly, sales seasons are ending in Europe, and the disposal of unsold items is expensive, making it much more profitable to sell them in Russia, Belarus, or Kazakhstan and still make a profit. -0-

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