Lithuanian Customs is stepping up checks to monitor the execution of EU sanctions on Russia and Belarus.
Shipments whose senders, receivers, carriers or customs intermediaries have already tried to circumvent the sanctions will be deemed high-risk and subjected to extra checks, the Customs Department said on August 25.
“We see that the number of attempts to evade the sanctions is not going down and we are, therefore, taking additional measures. Customers who have been prevented from proceeding with customs procedures because of attempts to circumvent the sanctions should not be surprised if their shipments come under a magnifying glass in the future,” Darius Zvironas, the head of the Lithuanian Customs, said in a statement.
Since March, the Customs has been subjecting exported and imported goods and those transiting the country to tighter checks. During this period, more than 3,000 import, export and transit procedures have been denied due to various infringements, with 30 investigations launched and ongoing. The Customs Criminal Service is also carrying out four pre-trial investigations, and also 260 administrative offense proceedings have been opened.
More than 1,200 vehicles registered in Belarus and Russia have been refused entry into the EU due to infringements. (LRT/Business World Magazine)