On December 27, Vitebsk /BelTA correspondent/. A minibus worth approximately Br43 million was seized from a Latvian citizen for non-payment of customs duties amounting to about Br100 million, the Vitebsk Customs informed BelTA. Officers of the operational search department of the Vitebsk Customs, in cooperation with officers of the traffic police department of the Internal Affairs Directorate of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, detained a Ford Transit passenger minibus, manufactured in 1997. The minibus was temporarily imported into Belarus by a citizen of Latvia and transferred for use to a citizen of the Republic of Belarus in violation of the established legal procedure. In accordance with Article 11 of the Agreement on the Procedure for Moving Goods for Personal Use by Individuals Across the Customs Border of the Customs Union and Performing Customs Operations Related to Their Release, the transfer of the right to use and (or) dispose of vehicles for personal use, registered in the territory of a foreign state and temporarily imported by a foreign individual into the customs territory of the Customs Union for the period of their temporary stay, is permitted only on the condition of their declaration and payment of customs duties and taxes. Thus, as a result of transferring the Ford Transit passenger minibus, temporarily imported for personal use, to another person without the permission of the customs authority, the Latvian citizen incurred an obligation to pay customs duties and taxes, the amount of which is approximately Br100 million. The vehicle, with a preliminary estimated value of Br43 million, has been seized. An investigation is underway. As noted by the customs authorities, recently there has been an increase in cases of violation of established customs legislation when transferring the right to use vehicles temporarily imported into the territory of the Customs Union by foreign citizens. This is the second such case recorded by customs officers in the past week. Previously, a Mercedes-Benz car, manufactured in 1999, had to be seized from an Estonian citizen, which she had transferred for use to a Russian citizen in violation of the established legal procedure. -0-

BELTA